So much looking forward to offering a music theory class at Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf dedicated to the analysis and interpretation of the remarkable music of American composer-pianist Amy Beach. We are going to discuss a selection of her orchestral, chamber, and vocal music, with special emphasis on harmonic and formal conceptions. I am particularly glad that there will be some fascinating guest presenters who agreed to share their expertise with the students: conductor Eva Meitner and violinist Judith Stapf with Trio Orelon. The course is going to take place on Wednesdays, 10–12 am, in alternating on-site and remote sessions. Let me know if you would like to participate in the online classes as a guest.
Teaching
Contemplating Jugend musiziert
On the occasion of my kids taking part in the German youth competition Jugend musiziert for the first time, here are some personal thoughts: The competition did not develop very much during the time since when I myself was a participant some twenty years ago. Some new instruments and categories were introduced, there are junior judges in some categories, and the application procedure has been digitised. Many other aspects remain unchanged: The repertoire lists are still insufficiently diverse, applicants are still required to state the keys and ›style epochs‹ of the performed pieces, advisory consultaltion with the jury still takes place prior to the announcement of the results, and questionable special prizes are still being awarded by weird people and organisations.
Provided that all procedures are carried out smoothly and participants are carefully guided and advised by parents, teachers, and adjudicators, the competition can turn out to be a rewarding and inspiring experience. Some noteworthy ideas are expressed in this podcast by my dear colleagues Laura, Saskia, and Daniel in a recent episode from the Pro Musik Magazine.
The Digital Music Theory Classroom
I tried to summarise all my recent experiences in technology-based teaching and developed some personal guidelines for the digitised music theory classroom. The comprehensive concept includes diverse forms of instruction, such as face-to-face, online and hybrid teaching, and also considers synchronous and asynchronous usage of collaborative cloud documents and whiteboards—a central element of my music theory classes during the last three years. Other components are learning management systems, open educational resources, and multimedial interaction by means of virtual music-making apps and MIDI devices. Please share your thoughts if this is somewhat inspiring to you, and let me know if you have additions or suggestions!
» View my teaching concept for the digital music theory classroom (in German language)
A Conspectus of Four-Part Harmony
The final week of my semester at TU Dortmund University is over, having reached an intriguing (and literal) climax in the examination of Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy, and finishing with the workshop concert of my historical composition seminar. Eleven pieces, created during the last months, were performed by the students themselves: Renaissance-style partsongs, Lutheran choral settings in Schütz’s and Bach’s idioms, and Romantic folksong adaptations in various four-part realisations. The vocal ensemble consisted of twelve dedicated students from the BA programmes in music education and music journalism, the latter of who contributed a number of written and spoken work introductions. This was quite a rewarding experience—many thanks to everybody involved!
The Nature of Music Analysis
Some people think that analysing music means to add harmonic figures to a bassline, to make a form diagram or graph, to compare motivic relations at different positions, or to examine the instrumentation. While any of the above may be used as a means of analysis, neither of these is sufficient to grasp the essence of a musical work. As long as you study an individual piece without incorporating its multiple historical, social, and aesthetic contexts, its examination will remain incomplete.
Music analysis, as a multi-faceted activity with artistic, performative, and scholarly components, is impossible to be carried out without a thorough knowledge of the repertoire. The ability to view a piece of music in terms of its time and place of origin, the biographical situation of its creator, and other music composed in its environment, is of crucial importance to make substantial observations. A central question is: What makes this particular artwork appear special in relation to others? So, every time we approach written music or performances with an analytic intention, we need to take into account its superordinate contexts and relevance. Analysis is research.
»The score is not the music itself, just like the recipe doesn’t make a meal.«