CCCOnline LogoCourse Snapshot for MUS121 - Music History Medieval through the Classical Period

The information listed below is subject to change. Please review the course syllabus within your online course at the start of class.

Course Competencies

The competencies you will demonstrate in this course are as follows:

  1. Define the basic elements of music (melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, meter, dynamics, timbre, instrumentation, and form) and recognize their use in musical compositions.
  2. Demonstrate critical listening skills that reflect understanding of musical forms and the genres with which they are associated.
  3. Distinguish prominent style characteristics of music from historical style periods Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical.
  4. Evaluate the effects of religious, social, and political climate on the music produced in each period.
  5. Recall salient composers from each period and articulate their significant achievements and compositions.
  6. Demonstrate ability to critically listen and write about a musical performance.
Learning concepts for this course are enchanced using modules, websites, and online discussions.

Module Outcomes Mapped to Competencies

The module objectives that will permit students to demonstrate course competencies are:

Module 1
  Objectives Competencies
1 To utilize musical terminology and an understanding of musical elements to write objectively about music performance and history. A, B, F
2 Distinguish rhythm from meter A
3 Distinguish rhythm and meter from tempo A
4 Identify duple, triple, and compound meters A
5 Distinguish rhythm and meter from tempo A
6 Listen for different dynamic levels A
7 Differentiate the timbres or tone colors of the main instruments of classical music A
8 Understand the importance of octave, half step, and whole step in making scales A
9 Distinguish diatonic and chromatic scales A
10 Build a vocabulary for melody or tune: phrase, cadence, motive, theme A
11 Define harmony and build a vocabulary for it: consonance, dissonance, and chord A
12 Listen for different textures: monophony, homophony, polyphony (counterpoint) A
13 Understand the concept of tonality, with its central pitch or tonic A
14 Distinguish major and minor modes A
15 Understand the difference between mode and key, and to listen for both F
16 Relate form in music to form in poetry, art, and architecture B
17 Listen for simple musical forms B
18 Diagram musical forms with letters B
19 Differentiate three key terms: form, genre, and style B
Module 2
  Objectives Competencies
1 Understand the basic features of medieval and Renaissance church services, particularly the Mass A, B C, D, F
2 Compare different styles and genres of plainchant A, B, C
3 Distinguish between church music and court music B, C, D, E, F
4 Identify the different types of early sacred and secular polyphony A, C
5 Understand the technique of paraphrasing an earlier melody A, C , E, F
6 Recognize imitative polyphony A, C , E, F
7 Understand the new Renaissance emphasis on musical expression C, D, E
8 Consider the growing importance of instrumental music, especially dances C, E, F

Module 3
  Objectives Competencies
1 Define Baroque style as the mixing of expressive extravagance with formal control C, F
2 Understand the new techniques of basso continuo and basso ostinato A, B, C
3 Recognize the dichotomy of recitative and aria A, C, F
4 Gain an overview of European culture in the early 18th century C, D
5 Differentiate the musical worlds of church, court, and theater B, C, D, E, F
6 Understand the general stylistic features of Baroque music C, F
7 Explore late Baroque attitudes toward the expressive powers of music D, F
8 Link the continued rise of instrumental music to the Baroque era A, B, C
Module 4
  Objectives Competencies
1 Witness the explosion of instrumental music in the late Baroque era A, B, C
2 Differentiate concerto grosso from solo concerto  A, B, C 
3 Identify the basic formal design of Baroque concerto movements A, B, C
4 Understand the principles of fugue A, C, E, F
5 Follow the development of late Baroque dance music C, D
6 Survey the lives of Antonio Vivaldi and J.S. Bach C, D, E
7 Listen for the da capo form of late Baroque arias B, C, F
8 Distinguish opera from oratorio (5,6,8,10) C, D, E F
9 Hear the difference between accompanied and secco recitative  A, C
10 Understand the structure of a church cantata by J.S. Bach A, E, F
11 Survey the life and works of Handel C, E
Module 5
  Objectives Competencies
1 Understand the impact of the Enlightenment on music in the late eighteenth century C, D
2 Review the rise of public concerts and of the modern orchestra A, C, D
3 Contrast stylistic features of late Baroque music and Classical music A, B, C
4 Identify general features of form in Classical music A, B, C, F
5 Distinguish the standard movement types of the Classical symphony A, B, C, F
6 Understand the form of symphony movement types B, C
7 Develop a vocabulary for the various elements of sonata form B, C
8 Listen carefully to all the elements of a sonata form movement B, C, F
9 Understand and listen to theme and variation form, minuet form, and rondo form B, C
10 Recognize the highlights of the lives and works of Mozart and Haydn D, E
11 Recognize some Classical genres other than the Symphony B, C
12 Listen to double-exposition form, and identify it as the variant of sonata form heard in Classical concertos. B, C, F
13 Gain a familiarity with Mozart's opera buffa, and contrast it with late Baroque opera seria, especially in the new importance of the ensemble B, C, D

Course Time Commitment and Expectations

Course Time Commitment & Expectations

Three Credit Course

The semester schedule for this course may be 15 weeks, 10 weeks, or 6 weeks in duration. Based on the course format, this table shows the approximate amount of time you should plan to spend per week on this course. This includes time to read/listen to the online content, participate in discussion forums, complete all assignments, and study the course material.

For accelerated courses, the amount of time required per week is greater. Note that regardless of course format, the course material is the same and all course competencies, module outcomes, and assignments will be covered.

Course Activity Hours and Student Learning Hours
Course Credit Hours Course Format (Duration) Pace Relative to a 15 Week Course Course Activity Hours Student Learning Hours Per Week
3 15 Weeks - 135 8.5 to 9.5
3 10 Weeks 1.5x faster 135 12.5 to 14.5
3 6 Weeks 2.5x faster 135 21 to 24

Aside from typical reading assignments, this course has the following (Please Note: This list is subject to change based on the discretion of the instructor facilitating this course.):

Summary of Grading
Assignment Points %
Discussions (15 @ 10 points each) 150 15%
Written Assignments (3 @ 100 points each) 300 30%
InQuizitive Quizzes Chapters 1-5 (5 @ 11 points each) and Chapters 6-14 (9 @ 55 points each) 550 55%
TOTAL 1000 100%
Grading Scale
A = 90 to 100% B = 80 to 89% C = 70 to 79% D = 60 to 69% F = 59% and below

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