Overview:
This final exam is designed to assess your understanding of the composers, styles, instrumentation, and cultural contexts from specific genres in the periods we have explored. You will select and fully address one question from each genre. Your completed final exam is four separate essay responses consisting of one to two paragraphs per essay (a minimum of 100 words per essay, no more than 200 words).
Each essay will contain at least one citation that identifies a musical work or secondary source to support your analysis and interpretation of the era. In some instances the specific type of citation or source you should use is specified. If no specific type is specified you are required to cite your own to support your interpretation and analysis.
The 19th Century:
a) Define and discuss the concept of "Romanticism" as it applies to the musical culture of Europe during the 19th century.
b) Compare the musical conventions of Italian opera (Rossini, Verdi, or Puccini) with those of German opera (Wagner). In this essay you will identify a specific operatic scene or musical excerpt from each tradition.
The 20th and 21st Centuries:
a) Discuss one of the following terms: 1) "Modernism" or 2) "Postmodernism," as it applies to the musical cultures of Europe and/or the United States during the 20th/21st centuries.
b) Define and discuss one of the following terms: Expressionism, Primitivism, Serialism, Neoclassicism, Neoromanticism, Aleatory Music, or Minimalism as it applies to the music of the 20th/21st centuries. Remember to include a detailed discussion of a specific musical example.
Jazz:
a) Define and discuss your view of the term "fusion" as it applies to jazz; your definition may incorporate musical, socioeconomic, and/or cultural issues.
b) Discuss the idea of improvisation as the central tenet of the jazz aesthetic. Choose a specific musical example and provide a detailed discussion of the improvisation that takes place within your selected performance/recording.
World Music:
a) Select a musical culture or genre (other than one from the United States or England) and discuss how your selected musical culture or genre has influenced music in the United States. Be sure to include a specific musical example in support of your answer.
b) Select a musical genre or style from the United States and discuss how your selection has influenced a musical culture outside of North America. Include discussion of a specific musical example.
Format:
You will select and fully address one question from each genre. Your completed final exam is four separate essay responses consisting of one to two paragraphs per essay (a minimum of 100 words per essay, no more than 200 words). Each essay should contain at least one source or reference (more may be required within the prompt) accurately formatted in APA or MLA format.