Dr. Thomas King

Vocal Lit I

Solo Vocal Literature I, MUS 336A, FALL 2015, M/F, 10:20-11:10, GCPA 0179

Dr. Thomas King Thomasking@depauw.edu, GCPA 0115, Office hours Monday 11:10-12:00, Tuesday 1:15-2:15, Thursday 1:15-2:15 and by appt.

Required Text: Kimball, Carol. Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature, Milwaukee. Hal Leonard, 2006

Strongly Suggested: German/English AND Italian/English Dictionaries, preferably with IPA symbols.

Recommended Material for added studies: The Ring of Words-Philip L. Miller, The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder- Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, A History of Song-Denis Stevens, Art Song-James H. Hall, Phonetic Readings of songs and Arias – Berton Coffin, The Art of the Song Recital – Emmons & Sonntag, Word-by Word Translations of Songs and Arias – Schoep & Harris (Italian) AND by Coffin, Singer & Delattre (German), A Dictionary of Opera and Songs Themes – Morgenstern & Barlow, Singing in Style – Elliott

Course Description: A lecture/participation course designed to give an overview of Italian and German classical solo vocal literature. It prepares one with the tools to expand repertoire, explore the wealth of classical solo literature of various countries, eras and styles and provides a basis for useful information for a career in performance and/or academics.

Please check “Moodle” website and MY website for syllabus and class schedule.

Objectives: The student will become familiar with approximately 28 composers of art songs.

The student will understand the different style of art songs, according to country, era, and form.

The student will be able to discuss style of song through melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, form accompaniment, poetry, text-settings, performance practices and music history.

The student will listen to video and audio recordings of art song artists to compare and contrast singing styles.

The student will begin to acquire preferences for certain composers, styles of art songs, languages, and will be able to discern possible gender preferences of each song’s performers.

The student will build a database of art song repertoire appropriate for performance and teaching using relevant research sources, texts, biographies of composers and singers, YouTube, etc.

The student will learn and perform art songs by various composers and in various styles and will explore and create solo vocal recital segments and full recitals.

Assignments: Reports, presentations, class work and homework should be turned in ON TIME, ON TIME. Any late work (should be only minimal!) preferably should be electronically sent to Dr. King OR should be turned in to Dr. King’s mailbox at the earliest possible moment. Waiting until the next class period to present work often means waiting 4 days, which is unacceptable.

Grades: Activities will be assigned percentage points and will be earned based on attendance, punctuality, eagerness to learn, homework promptly completed, participation in class activities and discussions, reports, presentations, performances, performances outside of class, test and exam grades and any extra credit. Anyone missing more than three classes will receive a lower grade.  Anyone missing more than six classes should consider dropping the course.

Equal Access: “DePauw University is committed to providing equal access to academic programs and University administered activities and reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities, in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act and Amendments (ADAAA). Accommodations are determined on a case by case basis.  Any student who feels she or he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability or learning challenge is strongly encouraged to contact Pamela Roberts, Coordinator of Academic Success and Student Disability Services for further information on how to receive accommodations and support. Academic Success and Student Disability Services is located at 101 E. Seminary St., 765-658-6267.  It is the responsibility of the student to share the letter of accommodation with faculty and staff members. Accommodations will not be implemented until the faculty or staff member has received the official letter. Accommodations are not retroactive.   It is the responsibility of the student to discuss implementation of accommodations with each faculty and staff member receiving the letter.”

Special Religious considerations:  In accordance with DePauw policy, I am happy to accommodate students who are adherents of a religious tradition and wish to fulfill obligations of that religious tradition on holy days.

*Classroom procedure and Attendance: NO food or drink except water bottles, NO cellphone calls or texting. Be present and on time. 5%

ALL ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTS:

YouTube videos of Italian, songs ONLY, no opera arias – Cecilia Bartoli, Luciano Pavarotti, Luigi Alva, Mirella Freni, Montserrat Caballe, Renata Tebaldi, Ezio Pinza. German, songs ONLY – Barbara Bonney, Jessye Norman, Janet Baker, Elly Ameling, Fritz Wunderlich, Hermann Prey, Bo Skovhus,

PLEASE ask your voice professor to assign songs from our list of song composers!!

*DUE AUGUST 31 REPERTOIRE LIST: Each student will write a complete list of one’s repertoire of art songs, [ALL SONGS, ALL LAUGUAGES- NOT JUST ITALIAN AND GERMAN] with title, composer, language, and year performed or learned, e.g., Ständchen-Franz Schubert-German-1964 3%

*DUE SEPTEMBER 14 ITALIAN CHARACTERISTICS PAPER: List nine facts about Florentine Camerata early songs and give two examples of each fact. Cite specific measure numbers, titles, composers, etc. Bullet items, No need to use complete sentences. 10%

*BEGIN NOW!!! DUE NOVEMBER 9 Learn (not necessarily memorize) TWO songs from the LONG list of composers below. Be bold in choosing. Ask your voice professor for advice.

Learn songs from the SHORT list below to increase one’s repertoire to at least SEVEN. Ask for advice. Long plus short 9%

*DUE SEPTEMBER 28+, OCTOBER 30, NOVEMBER 23 CHOOSE TWO ACTIVITIES BELOW, PLUS the +required interview 8% each

Write a paper (300 words) on German Minnesingers and Italian “Troubadours,” 1156- ca. 1430- Stevens book p. 33-39, p. 55-63 could be a good resource. Learn one of their songs and perform in class with improvised accompaniment by another class member OR write a paper on a famous song cycle (300 words)

Compile a list of art song composer websites (at least 10 addresses and one complete site)

+REQUIRED: Interview a voice professor (NOT your own) about her/his favorite composers of art songs. Ask these questions: Which Italian, German, Austrian composers’ songs do you like to sing the most? (Can be more than one), why?, which the least?, why?, which composers’ songs fit your voice well?, why?, which do not?, why?, Type these questions and answers and turn in the interview (by Sept 28+) [I will inform all voice professors about the idea of these interviews]

Join Clara Schumann Society <claraschumann.net> (or other comparable one) See possible web sites.

Read a biography of one art song composer and discuss it with Dr. King (by Nov 23)

Buy a new art song book (one composer or an anthology) Bring me the receipt.

Any student may compete MORE than the required number of activities above for EXTRA CREDIT. All activities must be completed by the dates listed. Extra Credit activities must be completed by NOVEMBER 30.

*DUE SEPTEMBER 21 & 25 ITALIAN; NOVEMBER 16 & 20 GERMAN Present TWO ORAL REPORTS on the art songs of a composer, e.g. Italian perhaps Donizetti, Donaudy AND German/Austrian perhaps Brahms, R. Strauss 16%

*DUE SEPTEMBER 18, OCTOBER 16, NOVEMBER 6 THREE Style Sheets: Each student will compile song title information on composers from the list below. [A representative shorter list of titles is appropriate for composers who have written many songs. Pattern these sheets after the ones in the book. (See explanation page 21) List composer information facts similar to the models in your book, and list the sources of your information.  INCLUDE ALL 12 CATEGORIES BELOW.

1) name, 2) dates, 3) country of origin, 4) representative songs and song cycles [at least six titles, more if you wish], 5) other works-not songs, 6) known for song composition primarily?, 7) known for other works?, which ones?, 8) characteristics in songs, 9) which songs have you sung?, 10) which would fit your voice?, 11) YOUR ++opinion on the songs, 12) any other juicy tidbits, oddities, gossip you would like to add.

You may state the facts WITHOUT using complete sentences, BUT your ++opinions should be in complete sentences!!!

STYLE SHEETS: Alma Mahler, Louis Spohr, Anton Webern, Robert Stolz, Engelbert Humperdinck, Johann Sebastian Bach, Francesca Caccini, Antonio Caldara, Giacomo Carissimi, Luigi Dallapiccola, Gian FrancoMalipiero, Giacomo Puccini

*SEPTEMBER 18, OCTOBER 9, NOVEMBER 6 Three tests 15%; DECEMBER FINAL WEEK one final exam 10%

TOTAL PERCENTAGES: Attendance 5%, personal repertoire sheet 3%, Italian characteristics paper 10%, new songs learned 9%, three activities 24%, two oral reports 16%, three style sheets 9%, three tests 15%, final 10% = 100%

*DUE AUGUST 31 Circle composers you have already sung.

LONG LIST German/Austrian: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Fanny Mendelssohn, Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Franz, Schoenberg, Alma Mahler, Marx, Berg, Weill.

Italian: Caccini, Monteverdi, Strozzi, Durante, Pergolesi, Gluck, Bellini, Rossini, Verdi, Tosti, Respighi, Donaudy.

SHORT LIST assuming you have already learned a song by: Brahms, Scarlatti, Giordani, Schubert, Schumann, R. Strauss, Wolf

Two of the long list, seven of the short list

LONG COMPLETE LIST: [COMPOSERS FROM MANY COUNTRIES AND ERAS]

GERMAN: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Fanny Mendelssohn, Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Franz, Schoenberg, Alma Mahler, Marx, Berg, Weill, FRENCH: Berlioz, Gounod, Viardot-Garcia, Duparc, Satie, Ravel, Milhaud, Poulenc, Leguerney, Chaminade, AMERICAN: Foster, Griffes, Duke, Bowles, Bernstein, Persichetti, Rorem, Hoiby, Argento, Hundley, Bolcom, Pasatieri, Zaimont, Paulus, Larsen, Laitman, Hagen, Barab, Gershwin, Amy Beach, Bonds, Still, Carpenter, Joplin, BRITISH: Campion, Vaughan Williams, Quilter, Ireland, Warlock, Head, Finzi. ITALIAN: Caccini, Monteverdi, Strozzi, Durante, Pergolesi, Gluck, Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Tosti, Respighi, Donaudy, RUSSIAN: Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, SCANDANAVIAN: Grieg, Sibelius SPANISH Granados, de Falla, Obradors, Rodrigo, Montsalvatge SOUTH AMERICAN: Ginastera, Villa-Lobos EASTERN EUROPE: Dvorak, Bartok, Chopin. (84)

SHORT COMPLETE LIST:

Assuming you have already learned songs by: Barber, Brahms, Britten, Copland, Debussy, Dowland, Fauré, Ives, Purcell, Scarlatti, Schubert, Schumann, R. Strauss, Wolf (14)

Kimball: pp. 39-155, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Loewe, Schubert, Hensel, Mendelssohn, Schumann, C. Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Franz, Brahms, Wolf, Mahler, Strauss, Pfitzner, Schoenberg, Marx, Berg, Korngold, Weill   (22)   TK added Alma Mahler, Robert Stolz, (2)

1. 407-446, Caccini, Monteverdi, Barbara Strozzi, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Durante, Handel, Pergolesi, Gluck, Righini, (early collections, pp. 425-426), Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Tosti, Wolf-Ferrari, Respichi, Donaudy, Pizzetti, Santoliquido, Cimara, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Berio.  TK added Battistini, Bencini, Bononcini, Francesca Caccini, Caldara, Carissimi, Cavalli, Cesti, Cherubini, Cimarosa, DeLuca, Andrea Faldonieri, Frescobaldi, Giordani, Legrenzi,, Lotti, Marcello, Mazzaferrata, Paisiello, Parisotti, Peri, Perti, Porpora, Puccini, Rosa, Sarti, D. Scarlatti, Stradella, Torelli, (35) and foreigners! Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert. (4)