MUS2301 – Song Cultures Before 1600
Course content
This course explores the written traces of songs created before 1600, mainly in but not restricted to Europe. What kinds of songs existed? Who composed them? Who performed them? When, where, and for what purposes? How and why were they written down? We explore different contexts in which songs were created, performed, circulated, and reinvented, addressing questions of creativity, authorship and identity. Through analytical case studies we consider relationships between music and text.
Although we can never know what ancient songs truly sounded like, this course seeks to find ways to understand and appreciate them, and to illuminate the cultural and performative contexts in which they were created and received. It provides a glimpse into a highly creative and industrious musical past, sometimes revealing surprising continuities with our musical present. In our case studies, we will also explore how early music repertoires are revived in present-day performance practice.
Learning outcome
On passing this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate ways in which music was created, performed, and understood within distant and often unfamiliar historical and cultural contexts.
- Develop critical and analytical skills to approach primary historical and musical sources as well as secondary scholarly literature.
- Acquire discipline-specific knowledge that enables them to describe meaningfully the relationship between music and its texts and cultural contexts, and to engage with recent scholarly understandings.
- Improve their academic writing and presentation skills, using primary sources and secondary literature.
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Teaching
- 10 double lecture/seminar sessions
Compulsory activities
- Oral presentation (10 minutes)
- First draft/essay plan of the term paper
Students select a topic to work on during the semester from a list which will be published on Canvas, using methods and sources as stated under "Learning outcome". Students will receive feedback and will incorporate this into the final essay.
Information about assignments and the deadlines are available in Canvas. Students have to hand in the assignments within the given deadline, and are responsible for familiarizing with the requirements for the compulsory activities.
The compulsory activities are only valid within the current semester. All compulsory activities must be approved in order to sit for the exam. Students are responsible to keep track of registered absences and check that everything has been approved.
Read more about compulsory activities here.
Apply for a valid absence from compulsory activity or attendance.
Examination
- Term paper (8 pages, each containing approx. 2,300 characters, spaces not included; title page and bibliography not included).
The students investigate a topic chosen from a list published at the beginning of the teaching period. The topics cover various aspects of the course and employ given materials and readings.
You must fulfill the requirements of the compulsory activities to sit the exam.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.