Music
Office: 105 Skinner Hall, Website:
depts.vassar.edu/~music,
Phone: (845) 437-7319, e-mail: music@vassar.edu
Professors: Todd Crow, Annea Lockwood, Blanca
Uribea, Richard Wilson; Associate
Professor: Brian Mann (Chair); Assistant Professor:
Michael Pisani; Visiting Assistant Professor:
Charles Kamm; Adjunct Instructor: Judith
Casselberry*; Lecturers: Charles Barbour*, Cheryl
Bishkoff*, Arthur D. Champlin III*, Stephanie Baer*,
Merellyn Gallagher*, Luis Garcia-Renart*, Larry Guy*,
Betty-Jean Hagen*, Karen Holvik*, Kathryn Libin*, Dana
McCurdy*, Drew Minter*, Eduardo Navego*, James R. Osborn*,
Robert Osborne*, Linda Quan*, Maria Rivera-White*, Thomas
Sauer, John Solum*, Viviane Thomas*, Huguette van
Ackere*.
Requirements for Concentration: 13 units of graded
work, including Music 105/106, 146/147, 205, 206, 207, 208;
one of the following: Music 210, 211; two of the following:
Music 232, 234, 236; 2 additional units from history and
theory courses which may include not more than one of the
following: Music 202, 212, 213, 214, 231, 238; and
11/2 units of performance in the same
instrument.
Senior-Year Requirements: 2 units at the
300-level, at least one of them in history or theory.
Requirements for Alternative Concentration in
Performance: 13 units of graded work, including Music
105/106, 146/147, 205, 206, 207, 208; one of the following:
210, 211; two of the following: Music 232, 234, 236;
1/2 unit of ensemble; 3 units of
performance in the same instrument.
Senior-Year Requirements for Alternative Concentration
in Performance: A recital (302a or b) and
11/2 units of performance at the
300-level. During the semester of the recital, the private
lessons must be for 1/2 rather than
for 1 unit.
After declaration of major, no work taken NRO may be used
to fulfill requirements for either concentration.
Recommendations: A reading knowledge of at least
one of the following foreign languages: German, French,
Italian. German is strongly recommended. Students planning
to concentrate in music will normally elect Music 105/106 in
the freshman year and 146/147 in the sophomore year. Majors
are encouraged to audition for membership in one of the
choral or instrumental organizations sponsored by the
department.
Correlate Sequence in Music History: 7 units
including Music 105/106 (Harmony), 146/147 (Music History);
2 units of the following: Music 232, 234, 236 (Period
Courses); and 1 unit of the following: Music 320, 340
(Seminars).
Correlate Sequence in Music Theory: 7 units
including Music 105/106 (Harmony, Music 205 (Advanced
Harmony), Music 215 (Composition), Music 210, 211
(Counterpoints), and Music 399 (Independent Work for 1
unit).
Correlate Sequence in Music Composition: 7 units
including Music 105/106 (Harmony), Music 215/216
(Composition I), Music 219/220 (Electronic Music), Music 315
(Composition II).
Correlate Sequence in Music and Culture: 7 units
including Music 140/141 and 4 units of the following: Music
201 (Opera), Music 202 (Black Music), Music 212 (World
Musics), Music 213 (American Music), Music 214 (History of
Jazz), Music 231 (Women Making Music), Music 238 (Music in
Film), and Music 399 (Independent Work for 1 unit).
Advisers: The department.
History and Theory
I. Introductory
101a and b. Fundamentals of Music (1)
A beginning study of the elements of music including
notation, rhythm and meter, scales and modes, intervals,
melody, chord progression, musical terms, and instruments.
To facilitate reading skills, class exercises in ear
training and sight singing are included. May not be counted
in the requirements for concentration.
Open to all classes. Previous musical training
unnecessary.
105a/106b. Harmony (1)
A study of tonal harmony as found in the music of the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Primary emphasis is on
writing, including harmonization of bass lines and melodies;
analysis of representative examples and ear training.
Open to all classes.
Prerequisite: each student must demonstrate to the
instructor a familiarity with treble and bass clef notation,
scales, and basic rhythmic notation.
140a, 141b. Music as a Literature (1)
A study of selected topics in the history of Western
music. Topics dealt with in recent years include:
nineteenth-century Italian and German opera, the development
of the symphony, trends in twentieth-century music, and the
history of jazz.
Topic for 140: The role of the creative artist in
society. We study several composers and
musiciansMozart, Robert and Clara Schumann, Mahler,
Shostakovich, Gershwin, Louis Armstrongfrom the perspective
of well-known films about these figures, and then compare
aspects of their music and biographies with the ways in
which musical genius is popularly presented.
Topics for 141: Baroque music, influences of the Middle
East in Western music, and musical responses to World War
II.
Open to all classes. Previous musical training not
required. May not be counted in the requirements for
concentration.
Two 75-minute periods with an additional section
hour.
146a/147b. The History of Western Music (1)
An introduction to the history of Western music from the
Middle Ages to the present for those who can read music and
are familiar with musical terminology.
Open to all classes.
Three 50-minute periods with an additional section
hour.
II. Intermediate
201a. Opera (1)
Changing approaches to the drama in music from 1600 to
the present.
Prerequisite: 1 unit in one of the following: art; drama;
Italian, French, German, or English literatures; music; or
by permission. May not be counted in the requirements for
concentration.
Alternate years: offered in 2000/01.
202a and b. Black Music (1)
(Same as Africana Studies 202) An analytical exploration
of the music of certain African and European cultures and
their adaptive influences in North America. The course
examines the traditional African and European views of music
performance practices while exploring their influences in
shaping the music of African Americans from the spiritual to
modern.
205b. Advanced Harmony (1)
A continuation of Music 105/106, using more complex
harmonic resources and analyzing more extended works.
Prerequisite: Music 105/106 or by permission.
206a. Basic Musicianship I
(1/2)
Class exercises in ear training, sight singing,
dictation, rhythm, clef reading, and elementary
conducting.
Prerequisite: Music 105/106 or by permission.
207b. Basic Musicianship II
(1/2)
A continuation of Music 206 with the addition of such
keyboard skills as figured bass realization, improvised
accompaniment, and score reading.
Prerequisite: Music 206.
208a. Basic Musicianship III
(1/2)
A continuation of Music 207, developing aural and
keyboard skills to a high degree of proficiency.
Prerequisite: Music 207.
[210a. Modal Counterpoint] (1)
A study, through analysis and written exercises, of
contrapuntal techniques of the sixteenth century.
Prerequisite: Music 105/106 or by permission of
instructor.
Alternate years: not offered in 2000/01.
211a. Tonal Counterpoint (1)
A study, through analysis and written exercises, of
contrapuntal techniques of the eighteenth century.
Prerequisite: Music 105/106 or by permission of
instructor.
Alternate years: offered in 2000/01.
[212. World Musics] (1)
(Same as Anthropology 212) Studies in non-European
musical cultures.
Prerequisite: 1 unit in one of the following:
anthropology, Asian Studies, music, religion, or by
permission of instructor.
Alternate years: not offered in 2000/01.
213b. American Music (1)
The study of folk, popular, and art music in American
life from 1700 to the present and their relationship to
other facets of America's historical development and
cultural growth.
Prerequisite: 1 unit in one of the following: music;
studies in American history, art, or literature; or by
permission of instructor.
Alternate years: offered in 2000/01.
[214. History of American Jazz] (1)
An investigation of the whole range of jazz history, from
its beginning around the turn of the century to the present
day. Among the figures to be examined are: Scott Joplin,
"Jelly Roll" Morton, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke
Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, Thomas "Fats"
Waller, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk,
Charles Mingus, and Miles Davis.
Prerequisite: 1 unit in one of the following: music,
studies in American history, art, or literature; or by
permission of instructor.
Alternate years: not offered in 2000/01.
215a/216b. Composition I (1)
Creative work in twentieth-century idioms. Analysis of
selected works; study of instrumental resources.
Prerequisite: Music 105/106 or by permission of
instructor.
If a senior project in composition is planned, the
student should elect Music 215/216 in the sophomore year and
Music 315/316 in the junior year.
219a/220b. Electronic Music (1)
A practical exploration of electronic music, composition,
and production techniques, inluding tape recording and
manipulation, analog synthesis, MIDI sequencing, digital
synthesis, sampling, digital recording and editing, signal
processing and mixing. Compositional and creative aspects
will be emphasized with extensive lab time provided for
student projects.
Prerequisite: by permission of instructor.
231b. Women Making Music (1)
(Same as Women's Studies 231b) A study of women's
involvement in Western and non-Western musical cultures.
Drawing on recent work in feminist musicology and
ethnomusicology, the course studies a wide range of musics
created by women, both past and present. It explores such
issues as opportunity for public performance, and access to
training, production and distribution channels.
Prerequisite: one unit in music, or women's studies, or
by permission of instructor.
232a. Studies in Music of the Medieval/Renaissance
Periods (1)
There are two options for this course: topics in the
musical style of the Middle Ages (monophonic and polyphonic
genres to 1450) or in the styles of the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries (Latin and vernacular forms).
Topic for 2000/01: Renaissance.
Prerequisites: Music 146/147 or by permission of
instructor.
[234a. Studies in Music of the Baroque/Classical
Periods] (1)
There are two options for this course: topics in music
from 1600 to 1750 (the Italian stile moderno and its
dissemination) or in the music of the early eighteenth
century through the early nineteenth century (Haydn, Mozart,
and Beethoven).
Prerequisites: Music 146/147 or by permission of
instructor.
Not offered in 2000/01.
236b. Studies in Music of the Nineteenth/Twentieth
Centuries (1)
There are two options for this course: topics in the
musical style of the nineteenth century or from the late
nineteenth century to the present. Topic in 2000/01:
Nineteenth Century. May be repeated for credit if the
topic has changed.
Prerequisites: Music 146/147 or by permission of
instructor.
[238b. Music in Film] (1)
(Same as Film 238b) A study of music in the cinema from
1895 to the present. The course focuses on the expressive,
formal, and semiotic functions that film music serves,
either as sound experienced by the protagonists, or as
another layer of commentary to be heard only by the viewer,
or some mixture of the two. Composers studied range from
Prokofiev, Copland and Waltonknown best for their non-film
scoresto Tiomkin, Rozsa, Steiner and Herrmannspecialists in
the field. Contemporary figures like John Williams and Danny
Elfman are considered.
Prerequisites: one course in music (not performance) or
film.
Not offered in 2000/01.
290a or b. Field Work (1/2 or
1)
298a or b. Independent Work (1/2
or 1)
Special projects in theory, history, or performance which
supplement the curriculum.
Open to qualified students with permission of
department.
III. Advanced
302a or b. Senior Project
(1/2)
A paper, composition, or recital. Proposals for the
project must be submitted for departmental approval by the
end of the junior year.
315a. [316b.] Composition II (1)
Further work in original composition; analysis of
examples illustrating current practice.
Permission of the instructor required; qualification to
be determined by submission in advance of original work.
Prerequisites: Music 105/106 and 215/216 or
equivalent.
320b. Seminar (1)
Seminar concentrating on the work of one composer.
Prerequisites: Music 105/106; 146/147; any two of the
following: Music 232, 234, 236; or by permission of
instructor
340a. Advanced Studies in the History of Music
(1)
An analysis of selected compositions from various periods
of music history.
Prerequisites: Music 105/106; 146/147; any two of the
following: Music 232, 234, 236; or by permission of
instructor.
[381b. The Decadent Imagination at the Fin de
Siècle] (1)
(Same as College Course 381b.)
Not offered in 2000/01.
386b. Black Womanist Spirituality in Popular American
Music (1)
(same as Afrs 386b)
399a or b. Senior Independent Work
(1/2 or 1)
Special projects in theory, history, or performance which
supplement the curriculum.
Open to qualified students with permission of
department.
Performance
Auditions are required for both credited and uncredited
study and are arranged at the beginning of each semester for
students who register for the desired course. Each course in
performance includes a program of literature suited to the
individual student, and requires a reasonable improvement in
technical proficiency and interpretative understanding for
continuation.
Correlative courses in theory or history (see Individual
Instruction below) should be begun as early as possible, but
no later than the third semester of credited study.
Enrollment is limited in each area of instruction. Music
majors and students studying for credit are given
preference. Beginners are accepted as schedules permit.
Fees: See section on fees. Scholarships to cover
charges are made available through the Office of Financial
Aid and are granted only for credited study. Individual
instruction is given as follows:
Piano (060, 160, 260, 360): Mr. Crow, Ms. Rivera-White,
Mr. Sauer, Miss Uribe.
Organ (061,161, 261, 361): Mrs. Gallagher.
Harpsichord (062, 162, 262, 362): Mrs. Gallagher.
Voice (063, 163, 263, 363): Ms. Holvik, Mr. Minter, Mr.
Osborne, Ms. Thomas.
Violin (064, 164, 264, 364): Ms. Hagen, Ms. Quan.
Viola (065, 165, 265, 365): Ms. Baer.
Violoncello (066, 166, 266, 366): Mr. Garcia-Renart, Ms.
Seligman.
Double Bass (067, 167, 267, 367): Mr. Pappas.
Classical Guitar (068, 168, 268, 368): Mr. Champlin.
Harp (069, 169, 269, 369): Mr. Owens.
Flute (070, 170, 270, 370): Mr. Solum.
Oboe (071, 171, 271, 371): Ms. Bishkoff.
Clarinet (072, 172, 272, 372): Mr. Guy.
Bassoon (073, 173, 273, 373): Ms. Romano.
French Horn (074, 174, 274, 374): Instructor to be
announced.
Trumpet (075, 175, 275, 375): Mr. Osborn.
Trombone (076, 176, 276, 376): Mr. Bellino.
Tuba (077, 177, 277, 377): Instructor to be
announced.
Percussion (078, 178, 278, 378): Mr. Barbour.
Other Instruments (079, 179, 279, 379): Instructor to be
announced.
Note: Performance levels are described under
numbers 000, 100, 200, 300. Credited instruction in piano,
for example, should be elected as 160; whereas uncredited
study should be elected as 060.
The department will attempt to arrange instruction in
certain instruments not listed above. Students wishing such
instruction should consult with the chair of the
department.
Individual Instruction
000a, b. Performance (0)
Uncredited lessons.
Open to all classes by audition.
One 50-minute period. Unscheduled.
100a, b. Performance
(1/2)
Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon
recommendation of the instructor.
A corequisite course in theory or history is strongly
recommended.
One 50-minute period. Unscheduled.
200a, b. Performance
(1/2)
Prerequisite: two semesters of credited study in this
instrument. Corequisite: one course per semester in theory
or history is required unless two such courses have
previously been completed.
One 50-minute period. Unscheduled.
300a, b. Performance (1/2 or
1)
Prerequisite: four semesters of credited study in this
instrument.
One 50-minute period. Unscheduled.
Full unit available only for the alternate concentration
in performance.
380a, b. Performance (1/2 or
1)
Prerequisite: six semesters of credited study in this
instrument.
One 50-minute period. Unscheduled.
Ensembles
In the following five ensembles (jazz ensemble,
orchestra, choir, and Madrigal Singers) the first semester
is an uncredited prerequisite for the second: credited study
is offered only in the second semester. Students wishing to
enroll for credit in the second semester (the 150 series)
must register for the uncredited prerequisite (the 050
series) in the first semester. No student may exceed 2 units
of credit in his or her four years at Vassar. Membership is
open to all classes and assumes a full year commitment.
Admission is by audition. May be counted in performance
requirements for concentration in music only as specified
under Alternative Concentration in Performance.
050a, 051b, 151b. Jazz Ensemble (0 or
1/2)
The jazz ensemble performs literature ranging from the
Big Band Era to jazz-rock fusion. Improvisation and ensemble
playing in a jazz style are featured. Mr. Osborn.
One meeting per week.
052a, 053b, 153b. Wind Ensemble (0 or
1/2)
The wind ensemble performs a varied repertory of
compositions for large ensemble and for various combinations
of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. The
repertory extends from music of the Renaissance to Jazz.
Instructor to be announced.
Two meetings per week.
054a, 055b, 155b. Orchestra (0 or
1/2)
The 50-member orchestra performs masterworks of the
symphonic literature. Instructor to be announced.
Two meetings per week.
056a, 057b, 157b. Choir (0 or
1/2)
The choir is a mixed ensemble of between 40 and 60 voices
which studies and performs choral/orchestral and a
cappella literature for a larger chorus. Mr. Kamm.
Two 2-hour meetings per week.
058a, 059b, 159b. Madrigal Singers (0 or
1/2)
The Madrigal Singers is a select mixed ensemble of
between 10 and 20 voices which studies and performs
literature for solo and chamber vocal ensemble. Mr.
Kamm.
Two 2-hour meetings per week.
251a, b. Chamber Music
(1/2)
The study and performance of selected works from the
ensemble repertoire of instrumental or vocal mediums or
their combinations. Mr. Garcia-Renart.
Open to qualified students with the permission of the
instructor. No student may exceed 2 units of this credit in
his or her four years at Vassar. May be counted in
performance requirements for concentration in music only as
specified under the alternative concentration in
performance. No fee.
One 50-minute period. Unscheduled.
254a or b. Opera Workshop
(1/2)
The study and performance of selected operatic
repertoire. Open to qualified students by audition.
No student may exceed 2 units of this credit in his or
her four years at Vassar. May be counted in performance
requirements for concentration in music only as ensemble
credit specified under alternative concentration in
performance.