Course outline:
The
crisis in classical
music: Is there one? Will the audience disappear? How has the field
changed in the past 10 years?
The
classical music world: Institutions, careers, art,
audience. Why is classical music valuable? Who listens to it? How does the
classical music world really function? Was it always as formal as it is now?
The
pop music world: The history of pop music since
the dawn of rock & roll. How pop functions, as an art and a business.
How does it compare, institutionally and artistically, to classical music?
Can it teach classical music anything?
A
further look at the crisis:
Contemporary
music: Why is the classical music business still
largely built on works from before the 20th century? Why do new works have
trouble finding an audience? What does this say about classical music as an
art?
Concert
presentation: Should classical musicians dress
informally, use dramatic lighting, talk to the audience? How would this
affect the music?
Marketing:
Who’s the audience, and how do we expand it? Should orchestras and opera
companies use the tools of normal advertising, or does that cheapen the
music?
Crossover:
What’s the relationship between classical music
and pop? Can they mix?
Performing
the standard repertoire: What do classical
masterworks mean in the contemporary world? Do we need to do something
special to convey that meaning, or do they speak for themselves?
The
Career of a Classical Musician: What careers
should classical musicians expect in the future? How will classical
musicians relate to the world outside classical music? Is it their job to
help build a new audience? Can they create alternative institutions within
the field?
Assignments (full details on a separate handout):
You’ll
have reading and listening related to the topics we discuss. You’ll also
have two writing assignments, and a take-home final exam. But this is a
course in questions, not answers, so the most important part of our work
will be done in class.
How you’re graded:
The most important part of this course is class
discussion—an opportunity for all of us (including me) to work out our
thoughts on the issues we’ll confront. So a large part of your grade
will be based on class participation, though the papers and exam also
count. Because class discussion is so important, there’s no point taking
this course if you can’t come to class regularly. If you miss more than
three classes, you may well lower your grade, and might even lose credit
for the course.
