This module will examine the music composed when Russian musicians were becoming more conscious of their national identity and attempting to create a distinctive national style of composition. The composers examined may include Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rubinstein, Balakirev, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin and Glazunov and we will attempt to find out what, if anything, made their music distinctive from that of the contemporary' mainstream' Western tradition. In addition, the relevant social, political and cultural context will also be examined.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module the student will be able to:
display a knowledge and understanding of the music composed in Russia between approximately 1835 and 1900 and the social, cultural and political context in which it was written;
convey their ideas and the results of their research in writing
cite and, where appropriate, analyze, specific and suitable pieces of music as examples in support of their commentaries and evaluations
Assessment: 10% Weekly reading responses (500 words); 40% Essay 1 (2000 words) OR PowerPoint presentation with recorded narration, up to 16 minutes in duration (plus audio and/or video examples as appropriate up to an additional 5 minutes); 50% Essay 2 (2500 words) OR PowerPoint presentation with recorded narration, up to 20 minutes in duration (plus audio and/or video examples as appropriate up to an additional 5 minutes).