MU1208: Composition 1B
School | Cardiff School of Music |
Department Code | MUSIC |
Module Code | MU1208 |
External Subject Code | 100070 |
Number of Credits | 10 |
Level | L4 |
Language of Delivery | English |
Module Leader | Dr Robert Fokkens |
Semester | Spring Semester |
Academic Year | 2013/4 |
Outline Description of Module
(Note that this module is a prerequisite for the study of studio techniques and composition modules in following years)
This module is designed to further develop and extend the set of compositional tools (techniques, materials, structures and skills) introduced in MU1107 Composition 1a to enable young composers to express themselves effectively in small-scale works for 2–3 players.
It also aims to
- encourage musical creativity and imagination;
- develop notational skills further, with greater focus on using Sibelius software correctly and neatly;
- further enhance and develop students’ knowledge and understanding of early 20th-century composers, their musical language, techniques and style;
- introduce students to more instruments and their technical capabilities;
- continue to encourage a habit of active, analytical listening.
On completion of the module a student should be able to
- compose short works using a range of early 20th-century materials and developmental techniques;
- compose idiomatically for a number of instruments;
- create effective textures and structures using 2 or 3 instruments;
- notate musical ideas correctly and effectively.
How the module will be delivered
The following teaching and learning activities will be used in this module:
- seven 50-minute lectures and seven 30-minute small-group tutorials
- a listening log worth 10% of the marks in each assignment, detailing works that have been explored in relation to the project and commenting reflectively on how these pieces have influenced the composer’s practice
- attendance at (at least) two of the School’s contemporary music chamber concerts
Skills that will be practised and developed
Discipline-specific (including practical) skills
An ability to
- apply compositional/technical skills and knowledge in composing short pieces;
- think analytically and reflectively about one’s own music and the music of others;
- notate both conventional musical ideas correctly and neatly.
Generic skills
An ability to
- pursue independent creative work whilst building upon established methods;
- understand and explore how creativity and practicality intersect in the creation of new work;
- present creative work neatly, correctly, appropriately and attractively.
How the module will be assessed
Type of assessment
|
% Contribution |
Title |
Duration |
Approx. date of Assessment |
Summative assessment |
20 |
Assignment 1 (Piece for solo percussion instrument) |
1–2 mins |
End of Week 4 |
Summative assessment |
25 |
Assignment 2 (Piece for solo wind instrument) |
1–2 mins |
End of Week 8 |
Summative assessment |
50 |
Assignment 3 (Piece for solo harmonic instrument) |
2–3 mins |
End of Guided Study Week |
Summative assessment |
5 |
Attendance at (at least) two of the School of Music’s contemporary music chamber concerts |
N/A |
Whole semester |
The potential for reassessment in this module
All summative assessments with the exception of the attendance component can be retaken in the resit period subject to the approval of the Undergraduate Examination Board.
Assessment Breakdown
Type | % | Title | Duration(hrs) |
---|---|---|---|
Portfolio | 20 | Composition 1b Assignment 1- Song For Voice And Harmonic Instrument | N/A |
Written Assessment | 5 | Composition 1b- Attendance At (At Least) Two Of The School Of Music'S Conemporary Music Chamber Concerts. | N/A |
Portfolio | 25 | Composition 1b- Assignment 2- Piece For Solo Wind Instrument | N/A |
Portfolio | 50 | Composition 1b- Assignment 3- Piece For Solo Harmonic Instrument | N/A |
Syllabus content
Syllabus content
Three assignments are completed across the semester, with two lectures and two small group tutorials (5–6 students) supporting each assignment.
The assignments are divided across the semester as follows:
Week 1–3: Song for solo voice and accompanying instrument
Weeks 4–7: Piece for two string instruments
Weeks 8–11: Trio for mixed ensemble
Essential Reading and Resource List
Adler, Samuel, The Study of Orchestration, 3rd edn (New York: Norton, 2002)
Cooper, Grosvenor W. and Meyer, Leonard, The Rhythmic Structure of Music (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1960/1963)
Dallin, Leon, Techniques of Twentieth Century Composition, 3rd edn (Dubuque, IA: W. C. Brown, 1975)
Gould, Elaine, Behind Bars (London: Faber, 2011)
Kennan, Kent and Grantham, Donald, The Technique of Orchestration, 5th edn (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1997)
Persichetti, Vincent, Twentieth-Century Harmony (New York: Norton, 1961)
Read, Gardner, Music Notation, 2nd edn (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1969)
Schoenberg, Arnold, Fundamentals of Musical Composition (London: Faber, 1967)