Insegnamento a.a. 2023-2024

The course is divided into two parts:

Part I - Jazz and classical music: mutual influences

The first part of the course will focus on the mutual influences between jazz and classical music in the first half of the 20th century. An analysis of musical ensembles, forms, and other structural elements will lead to an understanding of how and to what extent these two distinct musical worlds influenced each other and in some cases even blended, making the stylistic categorization of some works uncertain.

Part II - Music, society, and technology in the 20th century

The second part will provide an in-depth study of musical genres and listening approaches in relation to the radical technological transformations of the 20th century, which will lead to a reflection on the concept of art music and the problem of value in music.

Topics will include:

- The American musical landscape at the beginning of the 20th century;

- A brief history of jazz music;

- Classical music and experimental music in the 20th century;

- The problem of form in music;

- The influences of jazz music on classical composers;

- The influences of classical music on jazz and the Third Stream;

- The development of the recording industry and the publishing industry of Tin Pan Alley;

- The musical theatre of Broadway and Hollywood;

- American composers of the 20th century;

- Musical genres, music listening, and the problem of value in music.

- use critical listening skills to recognize musical styles and genres according to musical parameters;

- summarize the main aesthetic and stylistic trends in Western music in the 20th century and identify the main cultural and historical issues surrounding the diverse development of such trends.

- identify and distinguish musical trends according to aesthetic, stylistic or strictly musical criteria;

- assess how musical movements have informed contemporary society and recent history, and how society and history have fostered certain musical movements and for what reasons;

- evaluate how the dialogue between music and technology has evolved over the past decades, and predict potential future scenarios.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)

One of the lessons is an in-class concert with a jazz ensemble.

The exam will be in written form and will consist of open questions aimed to assess students' ability to:

- write about musical genres, styles or works using musical terms properly;

- identify musical concepts as pertaining to a certain musical genre;

- explain the main aesthetical and artistic values present in certain musical works;

- place the main musical genres and styles addressed in the course in a historical perspective;

- list the major developments of music technology and explain how they influenced music listening and music making;

The students will decide if they prefer to take either the test for attending students or for non-attending students after having read both sets of questions.

The tests for attending and non-attending students are quite similar, as they refer to the same materials and topics indicated in the syllabus. The main difference is the type of questions:

- The questions for attending students are based on the contents covered in class and are meant to verify that the students have assimilated them and are able to draw connections among the different concepts. It is important to know that the notes taken in class are not a substitute but rather a clarification and supplement of the other materials provided by the course.

- The questions for non-attending students are meant to verify that the students have gained an understanding of all the topics of the course and are based on all the materials provided by the course.

The exam will be in written form and will consist of open questions aimed to assess students' ability to:

- write about musical genres, styles or works using musical terms properly;

- identify musical concepts as pertaining to a certain musical genre;

- explain the main aesthetical and artistic values present in certain musical works;

- place the main musical genres and styles addressed in the course in a historical perspective;

- list the major developments of music technology and explain how they influenced music making;

The students will decide if they prefer to take either the test for attending students or for non-attending students after having read both sets of questions.

The tests for attending and non-attending students are quite similar, as they refer to the same materials and topics indicated in the syllabus. The main difference is the type of questions:

- The questions for attending students are based on the contents covered in class and are meant to verify that the students have assimilated them and are able to draw connections among the different concepts. It is important to know that the notes taken in class are not a substitute but rather a clarification and supplement of the other materials provided by the course.

- The questions for non-attending students are meant to verify that the students have gained an understanding of all the topics of the course and are based on all the materials provided by the course

The materials will be indicated at the beginning of the course.

The materials will be indicated at the beginning of the lessons.

Students from previous years must follow the same program of current students and they must prepare the same materials.