In this course students will develop an enriched appreciation of music by studying the various repertories of the Western European and American concert tradition—the music you probably know as “classical.” Students will learn about historical, social, and artistic contexts of major musical works and develop a vocabulary to communicate cogently about their style, structure, and expressive qualities.

This course will not use a conventional textbook. Written course materials and links to online audio material will be made available on the course Canvas site.

Upon successful completion of MUSIC1010, students will develop your capabilities with respect to the following essential learning outcomes:

• knowledge of human cultures (in both the fine arts and humanities)
• inquiry and analysis
• communication

These outcomes will be assessed by examinations with both written and listening components, by attendance at musical performances, and by written responses to the performances attended.

Alignment with USHE Board Policy R470, Social and Behavioral Sciences Essential Learning Outcomes:

Durable Skills and High-Impact Practice

This course intentionally embeds two AAC&U-aligned durable skills and one high-impact practice (HIP) for first-year classrooms, in keeping with SUU's GE "First" design philosophy:

Critical Thinking — students listen to, interpret, and analyze musical works by applying concepts of musical style, structure, form, historical context, and expressive qualities. Students use evidence from musical elements and course concepts to develop informed interpretations of works from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and American concert traditions (Listening Examinations, Concert Reviews, Group Presentations).

Communication — students develop the ability to communicate ideas about music clearly and effectively using appropriate musical vocabulary. Through written Concert Reviews and oral Group Presentations, students articulate their observations, interpretations, and responses to musical works and performances for both written and live audiences (Concert Reviews, Group Presentations, Final Group Presentation).

High-Impact Practice — Public Demonstrations of Learning and Collaborative Learning: The Group Presentations and Final Group Presentation provide students with opportunities to publicly demonstrate their understanding of music through collaborative selection, analysis, preparation, and live presentation of musical works. Working with peers requires students to contribute ideas, organize an interpretation, rehearse, and communicate their understanding to an audience. These experiences deepen learning by connecting individual musical listening and analysis with collaborative inquiry and public demonstration. The Concert Reviews also provide a Reflection component, asking students to reflect on live musical experiences and apply the artistic concepts and vocabulary developed throughout the course.

Grades are determined by demonstrated achievement of the Course Learning Outcomes above. Each major assignment maps to at least one CLO, and rubrics (distributed in Canvas) make the connection between assignment criteria and outcomes explicit to students.

Grading Rationale

The grading structure emphasizes authentic engagement with music through listening, reflection, analysis, collaboration, and public demonstration of learning. Concert attendance and reviews require students to actively experience live musical performances and apply course vocabulary and concepts to interpret and evaluate those experiences. The three Group Presentations and Final Group Presentation place greater weight on students' ability to collaboratively analyze musical works, communicate their interpretations, and demonstrate their understanding in a public setting. Together, these assessments ensure that students are evaluated not only on their knowledge of musical traditions and concepts, but also on their ability to listen critically, connect music to its historical and cultural contexts, communicate artistic ideas, and engage meaningfully with live musical experiences. The grading distribution therefore reflects the course's emphasis on active participation and demonstration of Arts learning outcomes rather than memorization alone.

Assignment / Assessment Weights

Grading Scale

Listening List

Unit 1: Fundamentals—The Middle Ages and Renaissance

A. Fundamentals

B. The Middle Ages

• anonymous • Mass for Easter Day, Alleluia: Pascha nostrum (Gregorian chant, Middle Ages [precise date uncertain])
• leoninus • Mass for Easter Day, Alleluia: Pascha nostrum (two-part organum, late 12th century)
• machaut • Puis qu’en oubli (polyphonic chanson [rondeau], ca. 1363)

C. The Renaissance

• josquin • Ave Maria . . . Virgo serena (motet, 1480s)
• palestrina • Pope Marcellus Mass: Gloria (polyphonic mass, ca. 1560)
• weelkes • As Vesta Was from Latmos Hill Descending (madrigal )

Unit 2: The Baroque

D. The Early Baroque

• monteverdi • Orfeo, Act III: aria, “Possente Spirto” (opera, 1607)
• purcell • Dido and Aeneas: recitative, “Thy hand, Belinda,” and aria, “When I am laid in earth” (opera, 1689)

E. Late Baroque Instrumental Music

• vivaldi • Violin Concerto in E Major, op. 8, no. 1, RV 269 (Spring, from The Four Seasons): first movement, Allegro (solo concerto, 1725)
• bach • Brandenburg Concerto no. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050: first movement, Allegro (concerto grosso, ca. 1721)
• bach • “Little” Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578 (organ fugue, ca. 1709)

F. Late Baroque Vocal Music

• bach • Cantata no. 140: chorus, “Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme” (Lutheran church cantata, 1731)
• handel • Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Act I: aria, “Empio, dirò, tu sei” (opera seria, 1724)
• handel • Messiah (oratorio, 1741)
  Recitative, “There were shepherds,” and chorus, “Glory to God”
  Chorus, “Hallelujah”

Unit 3: The Classical Period and Beethoven

G. The Classical Symphony

• mozart • Symphony no. 40 in G Minor, K. 550: first movement, Allegro molto (symphony, 1788)
• haydn • Symphony no. 94 in G Major, Hob. I:94: second movement, Andante (symphony, 1791)
• mozart • Symphony no. 39 in E-flat Major, K. 543: third movement, Menuetto: Allegretto (symphony, 1788)
• haydn • Symphony no. 95 in C Minor, Hob. I:95: fourth movement, Finale: Vivace (symphony, 1791)

H. Other Classical Genres

• mozart • Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488: first movement, Allegro (piano concerto, 1788)
• mozart • The Marriage of Figaro, Act I: trio, “Cosa sento! tosto andate” (opera buffa, 1786)

I. Beethoven

• beethoven • Symphony no. 5 in C Minor, op. 67 (symphony, 1807–8)
  First movement, Allegro con brio
  Second movement, Andante con moto
  Third movement, Allegro
  Fourth movement, Allegro

Unit 4: The Romantic Period

J. Early Romantic Song

• schubert • Erlkönig (Lied, 1815)
• schumann • Dichterliebe, op. 48: no. 7, “Ich grolle nicht” (song cycle, 1840)

K. Early Romantic Piano Music

• chopin • Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 9, no. 2 (nocturne [character piece for piano], 1830–31)
• liszt • Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 (rhapsody [character piece for piano], 1847)

L. Early Romantic Orchestral Music

• mendelssohn • Violin Concerto in E Minor, op. 64: first movement, Allegro molto appassionato (violin concerto, 1844)
• berlioz • Fantastic Symphony: fourth movement, “March to the Scaffold” (program symphony, 1830)

M. Romantic Opera

• verdi • Rigoletto, Act III: quartet, “Un dì, se ben rammentomi” (opera, 1851)
• wagner • Die Walküre, Act III: “Wotan’s Farewell” (music drama [opera], 1870)

N. Late Romantic Orchestral Music

• tchaikovsky • Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy (symphonic poem, 1880)
• brahms • Symphony no. 3 in F Major, op. 90: third movement, Poco allegretto (symphony, 1883)

Unit 5: The Twentieth Century

O. Early Modernists: Parisian Breakthroughs

• debussy • Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (symphonic poem, 1894)
• stravinsky • The Rite of Spring, Part One: “Dance of the Adolescents” (ballet, 1913)

P. Early Modernists: The Second Viennese School

• schoenberg • Pierrot lunaire: no. 18, “Der Mondfleck” (song cycle, 1912)
• berg • Wozzeck: Act III, Scene 5 (opera, 1917–22)

Q. Between Two World Wars

• bartók • Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta: second movement, Allegro (orchestral suite, 1937)
• copland • Appalachian Spring: variations on “Simple Gifts” (ballet suite, 1944)

R. The Later Twentieth Century

• cage • Sonatas and Interludes: Sonata II (suite for prepared piano, 1946–48)
• ligeti • Atmosphères (work for large orchestra, 1961)
• adams • Short Ride in a Fast Machine (orchestral fanfare, 1986)

Weekly Schedule

Over the course of the semester, students are requested to attend at least five Music Department concerts or other musical events. (students may also substitute other collegiate- or professional-level performances. On or before the last day of class you will submit via Canvas a list of the performances you attended; this list should include the date of the performance and the name(s) of the ensemble or individual performer(s). Your performance attendance will constitute 15% of your final grade.

• Prefix / Number: MUSIC1010
• Title: Introduction to Music
• Credit Hours: 3
• Prerequisites / Co-requisites: No
• GE Designation: Arts