Music 89 / Philosophy 89

Music & Philosophy

Spring 2011

Lecturers:	Mr. Finson; office: Hill Hall 211; office hours: 9:30-10:30 MW or by appointment; email: jfinson@ email.unc.edu; Mr. Lycan; office: Caldwell Hall 215-B; office hours: 2-4 W, or by appointment; email: ujanel@email.unc.edu
Text:	Emotion and Meaning in Music by Leonard Meyer
Listening:	Selected works available on the website for this course; a matching set of compact discs on reserve at the Music Library, ground floor of Wilson Library
Description:	We will explore and discuss philosophical questions as they apply to music, such as “What does music mean?”; “Does music narrate?”; “Does music have emotional content?”; “What is a musical work?”; “What is ‘authentic’ performance?”; “How can one tell good music from bad music?”; and so forth.
Format:	Three seminar meetings per week
Grades:	Class participation and debate: 10%; this component will include attendance (you have three unexcused absences), 15% for team reports. 3 papers (limit 4 pages) exploring issues raised in class by applying them to music of your choosing (to be approved in advance): 25% each.

Schedule

Jan.	10	Mon.	Introductions

	12	Wed.	What Does Music Mean?: read Meyer, "Introduction" and pp. 1-22; discusssion

	14	Fri.	Musical Meaning: Meyer 22-32; discussion; Elements of Music

	17	Mon.	Holiday

	19	Wed.	Musical Meaning: Meyer, 32-43

	21	Fri.	Presentation of Brahms, Academic Festival Overture presented by Team 1 (sonata form)

	24	Mon.	Brahms, Tragic Overture presented by Team 2

	26	Wed.	Can Music Narrate?: read Abbate, chap. 2 on E-reserve

	28	Fri.	Further discussion of Abbate; "The Apprentice in Magic" by Goethe

	31	Mon.	Dukas, The Sorcerer's Apprentice presented by Team 3

Feb.	2	Wed.	Read Berger, "Diegesis and Mimesis"

	4	Fri.	Further discussion of Berger

	7	Mon.	Mendelssohn, Chopin, Ballade in G minor, Op. 23 presented by Team 3

	9	Wed.	Paper 1 due; discussion

	11	Fri.	Paper 1 discussion

	14	Mon.	What Is a Musical Work?: read Lydia Goehr, "Being True to the Work"

	16	Wed.	Further discussion of Goehr

	18	Fri.	Lieber & Stoller, "Hound Dog" as performed by Thornton or Presley presented by Team 4

	21	Mon.	Read Levinson, "What a Musical Work Is"

	23	Wed.	Handel, Messiah, "Rejoice Greatly" as performed by the Gabrielli Consort or Academy of St. Martin in the Fields presented by Team 5

	25	Fri.	Can One Reasonably Tell Good Music from Bad?: read Meyer, "Some Remarks on Value and Greatness in Music"

	28	Mon.	Further Discussion of Meyer

Mar.	2	Wed.	Read Davies, "The Evaluation of Music" on E-reserve

	4	Fri.	Further discussion of Davies

	7	Mon.	Spring Break

	9	Wed.	Spring Break

	11	Fri.	Spring Break

	14	Mon.	Opening of Rodger's and Hammerstein's South Pacific presented by Team 1

	16	Wed.	Opening of Bernstein and Sondheim's West Side Story presented by Team 2

	18	Fri.	Paper 2 due; discussion

	21	Mon.	Paper 2 discussion

	23	Wed.	"Authentic" Musical Performance: read Godlovitch, "The Integrity of Musical Performance"

	25	Fri.	Further discussion of Godlovitch

	28	Mon.	Bach, Ein' feste Burg, mvt. 1, (text), performed by Harnoncourt and Richter presented by Team 3

	30	Wed.	Read Young, "The Concept of Authentic Performance"

April	1	Fri.	Further discussion of Young

	4	Mon.	Mahler, Fourth Symphony, mvt. I as performed by Wilhelm Mengleberg or Fritz Reiner presented by Team 4

April	6	Wed.	Can Music Disclose the Supernatural?: Read E. T. A. Hoffmann, "Beethoven's Instrumental Music"

	8	Fri.	Further discussion of Hoffmann

	11	Mon.	A Visit to the Digital Concert Hall

	14	Wed.	Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, mvt. I presented by Finson

	15	Fri.	Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, mvt. II presented by Finson

	18	Mon.	Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, mvt. III-IV presented by Team 5

	20	Wed.	Paper 3 due; discussion

	22	Fri.	Holiday

	25	Mon.	Paper 3 discussion

	27	Wed.	paper 3 discussion