Syllabus: MUS-M 431

Song Literature
Instructor: Jeremy Gussin
Class Meetings: MWF 1:00-1:50, MA407

E-mail: jgussin@indiana.edu
Office Hours: TTr 9:00-11:30, MA009

Class Description: This survey course is designed introduce young musicians to art song literature from
the German, French, American, British and Italian traditions to aid in students development of song
analysis, performance, and evaluation.
Class Materials:
Kimball, Carol. Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature. Revised edition.
Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 2005.
Required readings for this course have been placed on e-reserve through the university library. Go to
http://libraries.iub.edu/class-reserves and follow directions to look up class reserves by course number.
Course reserves also include reference materials which could be used as stepping stones towards
individual or group projects. Additional excerpted material will be available through IU Canvas, or can
be found through our many journal subscriptions available with online access through our library or when
connected to the IU network.
Course Essential Questions: How do composers use music to express artistic values and describe
poetical experiences? How does one musical style influence another? What does harmony add to music?
What criteria do we use to evaluate a performance? Why should we program music if we dont like the
way it sounds? Is there good and bad music?
Learning Outcomes: at the conclusion of the course, students should be able to 1) identify and describe
musical characteristics and differences between region, composer and style from the canon of vocal
literature 2) present and perform stylistically accurate songs 3) associate certain composers and poets
within the context of cultural or musical movements 4) identify and describe compositional styles and
their pedagogical strengths and weaknesses.
Course Requirements: (1) assorted quizzes/in-class assignments (2) performance projects (3) final
exam. Quizzes and Exam will include aural identification; final exam also will include arrangement
analysis.
Course Outline
Week 1
August 24: Syllabus day, Song Style and Analysis
August 26: GERMAN Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven
August 28: GERMAN Loewe, Schubert
Week 2
August 31: GERMAN Schubert

September 2: GERMAN Schubert, Mendelssohn

September 4: GERMAN Mendelssohns, Schumann, Liszt
Week 3
September 7: LABOR DAY: NO CLASS
September 9: GERMAN Brahms, Wolf
September 11: GERMAN Mahler, Strauss
Week 4
September 14: GERMAN Schoenerg, Berg, Korngold
September 16: GERMAN Presentations - Performances 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
September 18: RECAP
Week 5
September 21: TEST
September 23: FRENCH Berlioz, Gounod, Viardot,
September 25: FRENCH Bizet, Duparc,
Week 6
September 28: FRENCH Debussy, Faure
September 30: FRENCH Faure, Hahn
October 2: FRENCH Ravel
Week 7
October 5: FRENCH Ravel, Ibert
October 7: FRENCH Milhaud, Boulanger, Poulenc
October 9: FALL BREAK NO CLASS
Week 8
October 12: FRENCH Presentations Performances 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
October 14: RECAP
October 16: TEST
Week 9
October 19: AMERICAN Foster, Burleigh, Ives
October 21: AMERICAN Thomson, Duke, Copland
October 23: AMERICAN Barber, Rorem
Week 10
October 26: AMERICAN Hoiby, Bolcom, Larsen
October 28: AMERICAN/BRITISH Laitman, Ricky Ian Gordon
October 30: BRITISH Dowland, Campion, Purcell
Week 11
November 2: BRITISH Vaughan Williams, Quilter
November 4: BRITISH Ireland, Butterworth, Finzi
November 6: BRITISH Finzi, Britten
Week 12
November 9: AMERICAN/BRITISH Presentations Performances 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
November 11: RECAP

November 13: TEST

Week 13
November 16: ITALIAN 24 Italian Songs
November 18: ITALIAN Bellini, Rossini
November 20: ITALIAN Donizetti, Tosti, Donaudy
THANKSGIVING BREAK
November 22-29
Week 14
November 30: RUSSIA Glinka, Musorgsky, Rackhmaninov
December 2: RUSSIA Prokofiev, Stravinksy, Shostakovich
December 4: SPANISH Granados, Obradors, Montsalvatge
Week 15
December 7: LATIN AMERICA Ginastera, Guastavino
December 9: TEST PREP
December 11: TEST PREP
Final Exams: Dec 14-18
Final Examination: Will take place in a 2-hour block time scheduled by the Registrars Office. The
exam will include 3 listening and 3 score excerpts. The listening portion will be paired with multiplechoice questions, whereas the available score excerpts will ask for short answer analysis. There will also
be a short essay. Should you check and determine you are scheduled for over the maximum allowed tests
per day, please contact me, and in accordance with the Registrars Office, additional steps may be taken to
alleviate your day-by-day exam load.
Academic Misconduct is defined as any activity that tends to undermine the academic integrity of the
institution. The university may discipline a student for academic misconduct. Academic misconduct may
involve human, hard-copy, or electronic resources.
The faculty member may take into account the seriousness of the violation in assessing a penalty for acts
of academic misconduct. The faculty member must report all cases of academic misconduct to the dean of
students, or appropriate official. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Cheating, Fabrication, Plagiarism, Interference, Violation of Course Rules, and Facilitating Academic
Dishonesty. See Student Code online for more details.
Course Grading
Your grade for this course is determined by the following:
(1) Group presentations (20%) in pairs, groups will select a topic from a provided list of
musicians, groups, and cultural movements to prepare a presentation in front of the whole
class. Groups can also bring their own topic for teacher approval. Assigned February 9th,
presentations begin on March 2nd
(2) Assorted listening quizzes and in-class reading/reflection assignments (10%)

(3) Popular song arrangements (15%) Students will be assigned popular songs to arrange in an
a cappella setting. You can choose to imitate any style of arranging (jazz voicings, rhythmic
transcription, re-harmonization) and will lead the class in a reading of your piece. Piece must
include at least two verses and two choruses. Prepare a CMP plan of your own arrangement;
how do the concepts of music combine to provide opportunities for the student to learn?
(4) Performance projects and reflection (20%) perform three pieces SAT(B), one of each 3
genres (vocal jazz, contemporary a cappella, gospel) with 3 other members of the class;
published arrangements can be selected from my library or the schools performance
ensemble division. One pieces can learned by rote instead (particularly in the gospel style),
but I must sign off on your project. A short reflection paper on the process of collaboration
and performance is also included in your grade.
(5) Final Exam (30%)
Evaluation: the grading scale for this course is as follows:
98 and higher = A+
88 - 89.9 = B+
78 - 79.9 = C+
60 - 69.9 = D

92 - 97.9 = A 90 - 91.9 = A82 - 87.9 = B 80 - 81.9 = B70 - 77.9 = C

59.9 and lower = F

Attendance: Plan to be present for all the class sessions: you are responsible for the material covered in
class, in addition, listening quizzes will be held once each week. The foundation of this course is
participation, particularly with the many score-reading rehearsals we will have. In particular for SATB
music being led by your peers, it is crucial they have your vocal support during this process, so make
class your priority. Of course, unanticipated issues may arise. You may miss two classes without
penalty; the third missed class will result in your grade being dropped by a half-step. Should five
classes be missed without a documented medical note, your grade will be dropped a full step (from A to
B, for example).
Should an illness or non-life threatening emergency keep you from class, please at your earliest
convenience check online Canvas for links to any multimedia you may have missed (like the listening list
or video links), and contact a peer for notes from that day.
Indiana University is committed to creating a learning environment and academic community that
promotes educational opportunities for all individuals, including those with disabilities. Students
requesting disability-related accommodations and/or services should contact the Office of Disability
Services for Students at (812) 855-7578 or visit the website for Disability Services for Students
(http://studentaffairs.iub.edu/dss/).