Thinking about Music: Ideas, History, and Musicology

Core concepts and perspectives for the study of music. Students explore musical meaning and research methods in a variety of contexts through a series of six topics: genius, reason, difference, reception, totalitarianism, and technology. Each unit adopts a selection of musical works, historical documents, and musicological writings as discussion points. Evaluation is based on class participation, writing assignments, and a final research project. A wide range of music is considered, including works by Mozart, Beethoven, Monteverdi, Paganini, Dufay, Bach, Cage, Bizet, Puccini, Brahms, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and Chopin, along with Buddy Holly, Elvis, and Britney Spears