Course coordinator
Associate Professor Denis Collins
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Music School
Introduction to Western art music from ca.1100 to ca.1700, including knowledge of its major stylistic developments, exploration of representative works, and understanding of the wider contexts of music across different times and locales. Development of research and communication skills for music-specific studies.
Please note that this course offering may be cancelled if fewer than 10 students enrol.
This course introduces students to the ﾠmusic of the late Middle Ages and Early Modern period (ca.1100-ca.1700.) Students learn its forms and structures, notational elements, ﾠstylistic features and historical performance practices. Students are introduced to the broader cultural contexts and relationships between music and other art forms and early scientific thought. The course also provides students with skills in music research and communication through exercises in transcription, early music analysis, and evaluation of various kinds of writing about early music and its roles across different societies.
Course requirements
Assumed background
MUSC1050
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
MUSC1050, or Permission of Head of School of Music
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
MUSC3500, MUSC3510
Restrictions
Course offering may be cancelled if fewer than 10 students enrol
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Associate Professor Denis Collins
Tutor
Dr Rebekah Woodward
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
This course is delivered through a weekly pre-recorded lecture posted in advance of class on Blackboard and a weekly in-person two-hour class (workshop).
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to provide students with an in-depth and critical understanding of the principal directions of Western Art Music from ca. 1100 to ca. 1700 through the study of its principal genres, composers, and contexts and the development of research skills in editing, analysing and critically writing about early music.
ﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Articulate the role of music in late medieval and early modern culture and the relationships between music and other arts and early scientific thought.
LO2.
Identify the principal compositional styles, composers, and their historical and social contexts.
LO3.
Differentiate and analyse the stylistic characteristics of principal genres in early music.
LO4.
Write critically and analytically about early music.
LO5.
Manage a research writing project using the main research and bibliographic tools associated with early music.
LO6.
Implement principles of transcription and scholarly editing of early music.
LO7.
Demonstrate cultural capability through understanding of, and respect for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and global Indigenous musical traditions, heritage, and knowledge.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Written Response to Selected Readings | 15% |
31/03/2025 5:00 pm |
| Quiz |
Series of Online Quizzes
|
15% |
17/03/2025 5:00 pm 14/04/2025 5:00 pm 29/05/2025 5:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Evidence of Essay Preparation | Formative Feedback on Essay |
17/04/2025 5:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Transcription exercise | 35% |
9/05/2025 5:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Critical writing on a chosen topic | 35% |
10/06/2025 5:00 pm |
Assessment details
Written Response to Selected Readings
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
31/03/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L04, L05, L07
Task description
Students respond to set questions about two readings provided by the Course Coordinator at the beginning of the semester. Responses should be presented in academic prose with logical sequencing of ideas and paragraph breaks where needed. A short Reference list should include the chosen reading and any other item cited in the assessment activity.
Details about each reading, including library links, will be posted on Blackboard at the beginning of the semester.
Word limit for this submission: 1,000 words.
Please note: This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Students should submit responses through Turnitin.
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.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be granted afterwards.
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.
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.
Series of Online Quizzes
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
17/03/2025 5:00 pm
14/04/2025 5:00 pm
29/05/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03, L07
Task description
Three online quizzes will be available on the Blackboard site for this course. Each quiz will be worth 5% of the final grade for this course, leading to a total of 15% for this series of three quizzes. The quiz will test material covered in all lectures and specified workshops. Sample questions will be provided in the lecture notes for each week and discussed in the workshops. Each student will answer a randomised selection of questions from the Quiz pools.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Each quiz will be completed through Blackboard.
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.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be grated afterwards.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Evidence of Essay Preparation
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- Formative Feedback on Essay
- Due date
17/04/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
Evidence of reading and understanding of relevant literature for the chosen essay topic. Full details of the assessment requirement will be provided in an accompanying task sheet available on the Blackboard site.
This is an opportunity for you to receive formative feedback on your work towards completing the Essay assessment task. If you choose not to provide your essay preparation by the due date, you can still submit your Essay assessment task, but will not have received any feedback before that submission.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Submit through Turnitin.
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.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
If you choose not to provide your essay preparation by the due date, you can still submit your Essay assessment task, but will not have received any feedback before that submission.
Transcription exercise
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
9/05/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L03, L04, L06
Task description
Transcription into modern music notation of a specified work from facsimiles of original sources. Full details of the task will be provided on Blackboard at the beginning of semester. Approaches to transcription along with preparatory exercises will be covered in class.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Submit through TurnItIn
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.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be grated afterwards.
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.
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.
Critical writing on a chosen topic
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
10/06/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Essay of ca. 1,500 words on a topic chosen from a list distributed in class and made available on the MUSC2501 Blackboard site. Full details of the assessment requirement will be provided in an accompanying task sheet available on the Blackboard site.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.
Submission guidelines
Submit online through Turnitin
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.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be grated afterwards.
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.
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.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work is grossly deficient in all areas, or incomplete |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work shows significantly incomplete knowledge of of specific topics, no contextual awareness, little skill in applying knowledge of course material, no critical insight and lacks basic competence in writing style. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Work shows many areas of incomplete knowledge of specific topics, little contextual awareness, weak ability in applying knowledge of course material, little critical insight and poor level of competence in writing style. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work shows some areas of incomplete knowledge of specific topics, sufficient command of contextual awareness, suficient ability in applying knowledge of course material, adequate critical insight and an adequate level of competence in writing style. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work shows good command and knowledge of specific topics, well developed sense of contextual awareness, good ability in applying knowledge of course material, good critical insight and a clear and lucid writing style. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work shows a very goodﾠcommand and knowledge of specific topics, a very well developed sense of contextual awareness, a very goodﾠability in applying knowledge of course material, fine critical insight, and a clear and lucid writing style with scrupulous attention to the requirements of scholarly practice. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work shows an excellent command and knowledge of specific topics, a highly developed sense of contextual awareness, an excellent ability in applying knowledge of course material, very fine critical insight, and a clear and lucid writing style with scrupulous attention to the requirements of scholarly practice. |
Additional course grading information
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
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
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| UQ School of Music Academic Writing Guide (Style Sheet) |
Recommended
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Burkholder, J. Peter, Donald Jay Grout and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. 10th ed. New York: Norton, 2018. | Students may also be able to utilise copies of the 7th (2006), 8th (2010) or 9th (2014) editions. Editions earlier than this are much less suitable and cannot be recommended. This text is also used in other courses in the School of Music. |
Additional learning resources information
Additional reading lists specific to each week's lecture will provided in class. Class notes and other materials will also be posted on the MUSC2501 Blackboard site. Readings that support the class notes include the following:
Atlas, Allan. Renaissance Music. Norton, 1998
Atlas, Allan. Anthology of Renaissance Music. Norton, 1998
Fassler, Margot. Music in the Medieval West. Norton, 2014 ML172.F37
Freedman, Richard. Music in the Renaissance. Norton, 2013
Freedman, Richard. Anthology for Music in the Renaissance. Norton, 2013
Hoppin, Richard. Medieval Music. Norton, 1978
Additionally, a useful (and freely available) text on academic writing is William Strunk and E.B. White,ﾠThe Elements of Style.ﾠThis is available through the library:ﾠhttps://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/lib/uql/detail.action?docID=1101189ﾠ
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 4 |
Not Timetabled |
Music in the Late Middle Ages The heritage of music in Ancient Greece. Music in late medieval Europe. Gregorian chant, Notre Dame polyphony, the Ars Nova and Trecento. Music and speculative theories of universal knowledge. Music and medieval art. Musicology and the recovery of medieval music. Digital resources for old music. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Workshop |
Workshop Activities 1: medieval music Principles of transcription. Critical reading of medieval texts about music. Music and identity and authorship in the Middle Ages. Approaches to interpreting and analysing modern scores of medieval music. What to listen for in performances and recordings of old music. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Multiple weeks From Week 5 To Week 10 |
Not Timetabled |
Music and the Renaissance Introduction to music from ca. 1400 to ca. 1590: the idea of rebirth in music, musical forms and styles, music and the Reformation, music and the age of exploration, printing technologies for music, music and the visual arts. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
Workshop |
Workshop Activities 2: Renaissance music Notation and novelty: further transcription exercises. Analytical writing about music: modality, counterpoint and text setting. Music and the visual arts. Music and gender in the Renaissance. Interrogating modern musicology and approaches to early music. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07 |
|
Multiple weeks From Week 11 To Week 12 |
Not Timetabled |
Towards the Baroque in Music Music from c.1590 to c. 1700: new and old styles, rise of instrumental music, early opera, sacred choral music. Women and early modern music across sacred and secular contexts. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Workshop |
Workshop Activities 3: music in the 17th century Research and writing about specific forms or genres. Historiographical problems. Music theory and emerging scientific thought. Women and music performance and music patronage. Music and the visual arts. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Not Timetabled |
Week 13 Essay writing: how to effectively prepare your essay for submission. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Workshop |
Essay Writing Clinic Bring along any essay writing drafts and your questions for discussion and feedback. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Additional learning activity information
The pre-recorded lecture content will be made available by the beginning of each week.
There are no lectures or tutorials scheduled during the School of Music Project Week.
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