MUSIC M502: MONTEVERDI
Fall 1999
Team Project, Presentations, and Paper
There will be from four to six teams of three to five people each. If
possible, I would like to have at least the following four teams:
- a madrigal and song team, covering the madrigals and related forms,
plus the history of the madrigal, the models Monteverdi used, and his
influence on later composers
- an opera and dramatic music team, covering the three surviving
operas, smaller stage works like the Combattimento di Tancredi e
Clorinda, and the history of opera from its antecedents in the 1580s
through the 1650s
- a religious music team, covering the 1610 Vespers, the Masses, the
smaller works collected in Selva morale, and the other religious
music, including cross-currents between sacred and secular music and the
sacred music of Monteverdi's peers
- a team on Monteverdi as a transitional figure, covering one or more
of the ways he and his contemporaries bridge the transition from the
Renaissance to the Baroque, including changes of aesthetics, the changes
that led from modality to tonality, the invention of opera, the
representation of emotion and character in music, or changes in
performance practice
There might also be teams on other areas of interest, such as performance
practice, the depiction of gender and sexuality in poetry and music of
the period, or the social and economic contexts within which Monteverdi
worked. The only limitations are that a group must include at least
three people, and there should not be more than six groups because that
would likely be unmanageable.
The subject area of each team will center on Monteverdi but not be
limited to him. Thus the madrigal group should consider not only
Monteverdi's own madrigals, but those of composers he knew or was
influenced by and those he influenced.
Each team will work together to
- assemble an annotated bibliography of useful materials (not
everything!) in the subject area and distribute it to the class;
- in consultation with me, choose pieces for the class to look at and
articles for the class to read in the subject area;
- lead class sessions as a group; and
- provide feedback on each other's presentations and papers.
In addition, each person will write a paper and make a
presentation in class on some topic related to the subject area of his or
her group. Thus you should choose a group according to the area in which
you would like to focus your presentation and paper.
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As a team, prepare a selective, annotated bibliography of the secondary
literature related to your subject area that you find most useful.
Annotations should be brief, from two to four sentences, and limited to
describing what an item covers or stating its main point. This part of
the project is intended to serve as background to your group
presentation, individual presentations, and papers.
As a team, prepare one or two class sessions on topics related to your
subject area, to be offered from the 8th through 10th or 11th week of the
semester. The schedule of these sessions will be worked out once groups
are formed. In consultation with me, each group will plan its
session(s), including any assigned listening or reading. About one week
prior to their sessions, each group will meet with me to present the
class session(s) as planned and receive feedback and guidance.
Group-led sessions should deepen our understanding of Monteverdi and his
time by exploring issues that have not yet been fully covered in class.
While it is to be expected that some students will be more eager
presenters than others, everyone in the group should be involved in the
presentation.
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The last few weeks of the semester will be devoted to individual
presentations from each member of the class. The topic and approach of
your presentation must be approved in advance by me. The topic will be
closely related to that of your paper and must be related to the subject
area of your group.
Your presentation may include lecture, demonstration, performance,
discussion, and other appropriate activities. Your presentation should
contribute something new to the class, exploring new issues, presenting
new information, delving deeper into a problem already touched on, or
offering a new point of view. Whatever its format, your presentation
should make a clear point and be organized into clear sub-points.
Depending on the size of the class, one, two, or three students will
share one 50-minute period for their presentations. Allowing time for
discussion, presentations will normally run about 15-20 minutes.
Write a paper of about 15 typewritten double-spaced pages on a topic
related to Monteverdi's music, career, or context in which you make an
original contribution to our understanding of your subject. Your paper
must have a single central point, a logical set of secondary points, and
sufficient evidence to support the thesis.
Your paper will be related to your presentation, but it will not be the
same. What works in an oral presentation may not work well in writing,
and vice versa. Moreover, you have more time and room in the paper and
should consequently go into greater depth.
Group presentations, individual presentations, and papers will be
evaluated using these criteria:
- usefulness/value of the contribution: how useful is this? what
impact does it have on our understanding of Monteverdi and his music?
- originality: does this represent the group's or individual's own
best thinking, including a synthesis of what others have done?
- soundness and persuasiveness of the argument (especially relevant to
papers): is the argument logical, persuasive, and based on solid
evidence? are there weak spots in the argument? what possible
counter-arguments have not been dealt with?
- command of the relevant primary and secondary materials: does the
presenter or writer know what he or she needs to know?
- presentation (organization, order of ideas, clarity of expression,
and so on): does the presentation facilitate getting the point and
subpoints across?
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- The first step is to choose a subject area you are interested in.
Listen to enough music and skim enough of the secondary literature to
have a sense of what area(s) and what possible paper topic(s) you are
interested in by Friday, September 17. That day, we will divide the
class into teams.
- As you settle on a topic for your individual paper and presentation,
please come speak to me about it. On Friday, October 1, hand in a
topic proposal for your paper and individual presentation and make an
appointment with me to talk about it. This proposal must state the
subject of your paper and presentation, suggest a preliminary thesis
(main point) or a question you wish to address, and provide an initial
bibliography of at least 15 relevant items, in the bibliographic format
of Turabian's Manual for Writers.
- Team presentations will be scheduled from the 8th to the 10th or 11th
week of the semester. Well prior to your group presentation, your team
should meet with me to discuss what you intend to do during your class
session(s). About one week prior to your sessions, you will meet with me
to present the class sessions as you have planned them, and I will offer
comments and suggestions.
- The first draft of the bibliography, neatly typed and in correct
format, is due on or before Monday, October 11 (7th week). The
final version is due on Monday, November 1 (10th week), and should be
distributed to the class.
- The first version of the paper is due Monday, November 8 (11th
week). You and some or all of the other members of your team will read
each otherŐs papers and offer comments, using the stated criteria for
evaluation. You will also make an appointment with me for my comments.
- Individual presentations will be scheduled between 10th or 11th week
and the end of the semester. (We may have extra time, or need to
schedule extra sessions, depending on the size of the class.) One
week before your presentation, you will meet with me and at least one
classmate to present a dry run of your presentation, for my comments and
suggestions.
- The final version of the paper is due Monday, December 6 (15th
week).
Please write these deadlines in your appointment book.
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Last updated: 9 October 1999
URL: http://www.music.indiana.edu/som/courses/Monteverdi/project.html
Copyright © 1999 by J. Peter Burkholder
burkhold@indiana.edu