Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Twentieth Century Music: History and Theory (Face-to-Face)

MUSC 3530-01

Course: MUSC 3530-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: MUSC
CRN: 32592

Course Description

An in-depth course on music of the Twentieth Century, including historical developments, important composers, events, and styles, and theoretical aspects. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): MUSC 3070 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

  • Burkholder, J. Peter, and Claude V. Palisca. Norton Anthology of Western Music, 8th ed. Vol. 3, The Twentieth Century and After. New York: Norton, 2019.
  • Ipson, Douglas L., ed. Music 3530: Source Readings
  • Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8th ed. Revised by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams and the University of Chicago Press editorial staff. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2013.
  • Optional Text: Hanning, Barbara Russano. Concise History of Western Music, 5th ed. New York: Norton, 2014.

Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
  • identify the major composers, important works, and distinguishing characteristics of twentieth-century art music and explain how these reflect their historical and cultural contexts
  • describe and assess the principal genres, forms, styles, techniques, and performance practices of this music and interpret its most significant notational conventions
  • use a variety of methods to analyze this music
  • make connections between Western art music and other global traditions

Course Requirements

Examinations
Four examinations, which together will constitute 50% of your final grade, will be administered via Canvas on the dates indicated in the Course Schedule. Each examination will cover a single unit, as indicated in the Course Schedule. (No exam will be comprehensive.) For each exam you will be accountable for the material presented in the textbook, anthology, and class lectures. Each test may consist of short-answer questions, score-identification sections, and one or more analytical exercises.

Analytical Project
In consultation with me, you will select a piece of music that is “twentieth century” in both chronology and style (e.g., no music in an essentially Romantic or post-Romantic style, like the works of Rachmaninoff). No work discussed at length in class may be selected. You will then prepare a thorough analysis of the work or of a coherent portion thereof. What form that analysis takes depends on the work itself and your approach, but a successful analysis will ordinarily contain at least 5–7 pages of explanatory prose as well as supplemental charts, graphs, or other schematic figures. The project will be completed in stages, according to the Course Schedule: first, you will submit a brief prospectus identifying the piece you will analyze and summarizing (provisionally, of course) the approach you intend to take; second, you will submit a brief bibliography of sources; third, you will meet individually with me to discuss your project; and fourth, you will submit the final project. The entire project will constitute 20% of your final grade.

Assignments, Listening Quizzes, and Citizenship
Throughout the semester I will give short assignments reinforcing the concepts we will discuss in class. Most assignments will be given as homework, but some may be given in class. Homework assignments must be completed thoroughly and submitted on time in order to receive credit. In-class assignments can only be completed by students attending class on that day; accommodations will be made only for students with excused absences. Throughout the semester I may also give unannounced listening quizzes. These quizzes will require you to identify (by title, composer, and possibly genre) brief audio excerpts from the works we have been studying; these quizzes will focus primarily on the current unit, but may include excerpts from any work previously studied. Together, assignments, quizzes, and citizenship will constitute the final 30% of your final grade.

Course Outline

Introduction: The Nineteenth Century Tradition
Unit 1—Modernist Breakthroughs: The Parisian Scene
  • Diatonic (Church) Modes
  • Exotic Scales
  • Impressionism
  • Polyharmony and Polytonality
  • Asymmetrical Meters
  • Cubism
  • Stravinsky and the Rite

Unit 2—The Second Viennese School
  • Expressionism
  • Pitch Class Set Theory
  • Atonal Expressionism
  • Twelve-Tone Serialism

Unit 3—Between (and During) the Wars
  • Neoclassicism
  • The Jazz Influence
  • Socialist Realism
  • Music and the Third Reich

Unit 4—Postwar Crosscurrents and Beyond
  • Populists Onstage and Off
  • Anticipating the Avant-Garde
  • Avant-Garde: New Sound Resources
  • Avant-Garde: Electronic Soundscapes
  • Avant-Garde: Techniques Reinvented
  • Avant-Garde: Texture and Process
  • The Later Century: Postmodernist Collages
  • The Later Century: Minimalism

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late assignments may be accepted in extenuating circumstances at the instructor’s discretion with a deduction in grade, as appropriate. 

Attendance Policy

Since this is a face-to-face course, you are expected to attend class in person except when health or other unusual circumstances make it impossible. An unacceptable pattern of absence, disruption, or non-participation will negatively affect your grade. 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.