- Department: Music
- Module co-ordinator: Prof. Thomas Simaku
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: I
- Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
- See module specification for other years: 2024-25
The project aims to develop your familiarity with issues in contemporary composition, and allow you to increase your vocabulary of compositional techniques through completion of an independent folio of music.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Semester 1 2023-24 |
The aim of this module is to address key issues of compositional techniques and idioms. The study of works by 20th and 21st-century composers and the working out of a number of technical exercises (concerning the melodic, harmonic, contrapuntal and timbral aspects) will be the main focus of the project. The exercises will then serve as a starting point for free composition. All students will actively take part in seminars, as well as workshops, as composers and performers, and are therefore required to bring their instruments to the class.
The project is structured around seminars, study sessions and workshops, where you will try out your exercises and chunks of your main composition, are very much part of the module, as are the tutorials during the project and up to the final submission.
In order to take this module, you will normally have taken 'Composition 1' in your first year.
By the end of the project you should:
On completion of the module, in your independent work, you should demonstrate
Learning Outcomes B1-B6, B7 & B10
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Composition : Composition |
N/A | 90 |
Essay/coursework Essay : Commentary |
N/A | 10 |
None
A well-presented portfolio consisting of all the exercises worked (and re-worked as necessary) during the module, and one substantial free composition (ca. 7 minutes) (90%); accompanying commentary on the works submitted of c.750-1000w (10%).
Task | Length | % of module mark |
---|---|---|
Essay/coursework Composition : Composition |
N/A | 90 |
Essay/coursework Essay : Commentary |
N/A | 10 |
You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.
Suggested Scores
More works by the above composers, and others (!) such as Birtwistle, Grisey, Murail, Scelsi, Xenakis, Unsuk Chin (and many more!) can be found on YouTube!
Suggested reading: