Western Art Music 1700-1900: Approaches and Concepts (MUSC1050)

Course overview

Exploration of Western art music from the late Baroque to Romantic eras (c. 1700-1900), including knowledge of its major styles, through representative works, and understanding of its wider contexts. Foundational development of research and communication skills for music-specific studies.

This course provides an introduction to music and musical cultures in Western Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Music is considered in relation to broader social, cultural and regional contexts as well as in relation to its stylistic development. You are introduced to a range of composers and representative musical works, and also to contextual issues to do with the interaction of music and broader European regional cultures during the period, including attitudes to performance and composition.

This course addresses foundational skills in the area of music research and communication. These include score-based analysis, writing and communicating about music in various contexts, understanding and evaluating various forms of writing about music, as well as bibliographic skills and research techniques.

This course has been developed with consideration of Indigenising the curriculum.

Course requirements

Assumed background

MUSC1050 requires that you are able to follow a musical score while listening.

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

MUSC1500

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Music Research Foundations

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

20%

Due date

Week 5, Mon 5:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

• Unless otherwise directed, items of written assessment are to be submitted via Turnitin.
• Before you submit, preview the uploaded document to make sure you have chosen the correct file.
• When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin, you should see the "Submission Complete!" message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send it to you automatically.
• If you don't see the downloadable Digital Receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
• If the submission was not successful, note the error message (preferably take a screenshot), then go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again. If you cannot submit again, email your course coordinator immediately.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

• Requests for the granting of extensions related to a progressive assessment item (including recitals and aurals) must be made on the Application for Extension of Progressive Assessment form to the Course Coordinator at least 24 hours prior to the submission date, unless the circumstances are such that the student cannot reasonably be expected to have applied by the appropriate due date. The request must also contain documentation satisfactorily supporting the request. If an extension is approved, the new agreed date for submission will be noted on the application and the student notified through their student email.
• All extension requests must be submitted via the online form. Requests sent to academic staff via email are not considered as official requests under university policy.
• The guidelines for late submission of progressive assessment, and the application form may be accessed through myAdvisor.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

• All assessment tasks are due at the scheduled time. Extensions are not normally granted for late submission of assessment tasks.
• The reduction for late submission is 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item, or one grade per day if graded on the basis of 1-7, deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24 hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.
• Penalty for Pass/Fail assessment tasks is that the result for that task will be "Fail".
• In the event of any discrepancy between due dates and times (for example, between information on the Electronic Course Profile and the assessment material) the Electronic Course Profile will be the authoritative reference.

Critical Writing

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

40%

Due date

Week 11, Thu 5:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

• Unless otherwise directed, items of written assessment are to be submitted via Turnitin.
• Before you submit, preview the uploaded document to make sure you have chosen the correct file.
• When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin, you should see the "Submission Complete!" message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send it to you automatically.
• If you don't see the downloadable Digital Receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
• If the submission was not successful, note the error message (preferably take a screenshot), then go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again. If you cannot submit again, email your course coordinator immediately.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

• Requests for the granting of extensions related to a progressive assessment item (including recitals and aurals) must be made on the Application for Extension of Progressive Assessment form to the Course Coordinator at least 24 hours prior to the submission date, unless the circumstances are such that the student cannot reasonably be expected to have applied by the appropriate due date. The request must also contain documentation satisfactorily supporting the request. If an extension is approved, the new agreed date for submission will be noted on the application and the student notified through their student email.
• All extension requests must be submitted via the online form. Requests sent to academic staff via email are not considered as official requests under university policy.
• The guidelines for late submission of progressive assessment, and the application form may be accessed through myAdvisor.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

• All assessment tasks are due at the scheduled time. Extensions are not normally granted for late submission of assessment tasks.
• The reduction for late submission is 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item, or one grade per day if graded on the basis of 1-7, deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24 hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.
• Penalty for Pass/Fail assessment tasks is that the result for that task will be "Fail".
• In the event of any discrepancy between due dates and times (for example, between information on the Electronic Course Profile and the assessment material) the Electronic Course Profile will be the authoritative reference.

Final Examination

• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

30%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

A deferral must be applied for on time and through the correct process. Please visit this page for detailed instructions.

Short quizzes

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Quiz, Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

10% Each quiz is worth equal weight

Due date

Week 6, Mon 5:00 pm

Week 8, Mon 5:00 pm

Week 12, Mon 5:00 pm

Week 13, Fri 5:00 pm

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02

Task description

Submission guidelines

Completed via Learn.UQ

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

• Requests for the granting of extensions related to a progressive assessment item (including recitals and aurals) must be made on the Application for Extension of Progressive Assessment form to the Course Coordinator at least 24 hours prior to the submission date, unless the circumstances are such that the student cannot reasonably be expected to have applied by the appropriate due date. The request must also contain documentation satisfactorily supporting the request. If an extension is approved, the new agreed date for submission will be noted on the application and the student notified through their student email.
• All extension requests must be submitted via the online form. Requests sent to academic staff via email are not considered as official requests under university policy.
• The guidelines for late submission of progressive assessment, and the application form may be accessed through myAdvisor.

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

• All assessment tasks are due at the scheduled time. Extensions are not normally granted for late submission of assessment tasks.
• The reduction for late submission is 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item, or one grade per day if graded on the basis of 1-7, deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24 hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.
• Penalty for Pass/Fail assessment tasks is that the result for that task will be "Fail".
• In the event of any discrepancy between due dates and times (for example, between information on the Electronic Course Profile and the assessment material) the Electronic Course Profile will be the authoritative reference.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Please note that in order to be eligible for a final course grade all pieces of assessment must be completed.

Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics for individual assessment items are available in the Assessment folder in Blackboard for this course.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

This assessment task evaluates student’s abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. 

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Other course materials

Additional learning resources information

In addition to the material above, the content of the course refers also to the following texts:

Schulenberg, David. Music of the Baroque. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. [ML193.S38 2014]

Pauly, Reinhard G. Music in the Classic Period. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1988. [ML195.P38 1988]

Plantinga, Leon. Romantic Music: A History of Musical Styles in Nineteenth-Century Europe. New York: Norton, 1984 [ML196.P6 1984]

Strunk, Oliver, ed.ﾠSource Readings in Music History. Revised ed. Edited by Leo Treitler. New York: Norton, 1998.

Taruskin, Richard. Music in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. The Oxford History of Western Music 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. [Online]

Taruskin, Richard. Music in the Nineteenth Century.ﾠThe Oxford History of Western Music 3. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. [Online]

Weiss, Piero and Richard Taruskin.ﾠMusic in the Western World: A History in Documents. 2nd ed. New York: Schirmer, 2008. [ML160.M865 2008]

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Additional learning activity information

MUSC1050 is taught through lectures and tutorials

Lectures are predominantly designed to disseminate information and ideas with a wide coverage across a range of topics in Western Art Music during the period covered in the course. These topics, however, are not comprehensive. Additionally, some time in the lectures is given to various learning activities—these will not require any particular preparation unless advised in the previous lecture.

Tutorials run in smaller groups and are intended to foster more focussed thinking and interactive participation. They will focus on a small number of works and readings with the objective of developing your skills in thinking about, analysing, contextualising and communicating about Western Art Music. These sessions are far from comprehensive—there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of works and readings of comparable quality of significance that we could have selected.

Lecture sessions are recorded for access after lectures through the ECHO 360 system

Tutorial sessions are not recorded.

Attendance at and participation in all these sessions is, obviously, important to your level of achievement in the course. We found have over many years that there is a high level of correlation between attendance, participation and success. However, attendance is not compulsory and is not connected to assessment. If we take a record of assessment, it is purely for record keeping purposes and will not have any impact on your grade.

All regular classes run by the School of Music are suspended during Project Week. Course staff remain available for consultation on any course-related matter.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

School guidelines

Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course:

• School of Music site

Course guidelines

Communication (VERY important, please read carefully):

• The primary means of communication between the staff for this course and enrolled students is by email.
• Only UQ student email addresses will be used for this purpose.
• Students must check their UQ email account regularly (note that regular checking of student email is a requirement for enrolled students under the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL), see PPL Email and Bulk Messaging Procedure , section 3 (12) Student and Alumni Email)
• Failure to read important notifications about the course as may occur from time to time will NOT be regarded as a valid reason for failing to comply with course requirements.
• Students should also log in regularly to the learn.UQ learning management system and check the MUSC1050 site for announcements, for added lecture and tutorial content and for assessment items and related information. Again, failure to log in regularly to learn.UQ and check the MUSC1050 site is NOT considered a valid reason for failing to comply with course requirements.

Electronic Devices in Class: 

• Use of electronic devices are permitted in lectures and tutorials provided that this use is restricted to functions appropriate to the class, including things such as note taking or interactive quizzes, etc. Use for purposes other than in support of learning in the class is not tolerated. Students may occasionally be asked to put all devices away and compliance at this point is expected.