MUSI320-14W (C) Whole Year 2014

Musicianship and Conducting

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 24 February 2014
End Date: Sunday, 16 November 2014
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 7 March 2014
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 5 September 2014

Description

The further development of musicianship skills essential to conductors taught in MUSI 220, and basic conducting techniques.

The aim of this course is to equip you with the elementary technical and musical skills required of choral and instrumental conductors.  There will be four modules: technique, choral, orchestral, and mixed vocal and instrumental.  There will be weekly class sessions or tutorials in which all students will have experience conducting the class group, and will be coached in giving meaningful and musical conducting gestures.  There will also be opportunities to conduct groups within the university and the community.

Learning Outcomes

By passing this course, students will be able to:
-  Demonstrate elementary conducting techniques
-  Analyse and prepare scores
-  Plan and take efficient rehearsals
-  Conduct with clarity and musicality
-  Reduce and realise choral and orchestral scores at the keyboard

Prerequisites

MUSI271 and 220 (with a B grade or higher). RP: A pass in MUSI224 orchestration is strongly recommended

Restrictions

MUSI317

Recommended Preparation

A pass in MUSI224 orchestration is strongly recommended

Lecturers

Robert Constable and Tony Ferner

Course Coordinator / Lecturer :  Andrew Withington
Lecturer:  Helen Renaud

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Elementary Conducting Techniques 11 Apr 2014 10%
Choral Conducting 30% Ongoing during the term - in four parts
Orchestral Conducting 30% Ongoing during the term - in four parts.
Mixed Vocal and Instrumental Conducting 30%


All score analyses and keyboard reductions are due at 9.00 am on the date specified.  You should submit a hard copy to the assignment drop-box in the School of Music foyer.  There are four assessment tasks for this course:

Term 1 Assessment (Elementary Conducting Techniques)
This will occur during class on 11 April and will include the technical aspects covered during the lectures, specifically:  posture; beat quality; starts and stops; conducting patterns; dynamics and tempo changes; and cuing and phrasing.

Term 2 Assessment (Choral Conducting)
This will be ongoing during the term and is in four parts:
1.  Score analysis (5%) - due 16 May
2.  Rehearsal process (5%) - 29 May
3.  Conducting technique and musicality (15%) - 29 May
4.  Choral realisation at the keyboard (5%) - 30 May

Term 3 Assessment (Orchestral Conducting)
Dates to be confirmed.  Similar to Term 2, this will be ongoing during the term, and is in four parts:
1.  Score analysis (5%) - 25 July
2.  Rehearsal process (5%) - to be confirmed
3.  Conducting technique and musicality (15%) - to be confirmed
4.  Orchestral reduction and realisation at the keyboard (5%) - 15 August

Term 4 Assessment (Mixed Vocal and Instrumental Conducting)
Date to be confirmed.  This assessment will include conducting a recitativo secco, a recitativo accompagnato and a chorus from Messiah with singers, a string quartet and a harpsichord.
1.  Secco (10%)
2.  Accompanied (10%)
3.  Chorus (10%)

Textbooks / Resources

Students will require a baton and their own copy of the Duruflé Requiem (for soloists, choir and organ), and Messiah (Handel).  The orchestral score is to be confirmed.

Additional Course Outline Information

Assessment and grading system

The following shows how to translate grades to numerical scores:

A+  90–100;    A   85–89;    A-  80–84;    B+   75–79;    B 70–74;    B-   65–69;     C+  60–64;     C  55–59;     C- 50–54;     D  40–49;   E  0–39
In a course at 100- or 200-level examiners may grant restricted credit (R) which will be equivalent to a pass for all purposes except as a prerequisite.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,496.00

International fee $6,775.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Humanities .

All MUSI320 Occurrences

  • MUSI320-14W (C) Whole Year 2014