MU1035

Key Moments 1
Assessment Essay Questions
Autumn 2017

Write a 2000 word essay on ONE of the following questions:

1. With particular reference to his Symphony No 5, discuss how Beethoven can be

described as a ‘revolutionary'.

2. Discuss and evaluate how Beethoven in his late works generally adheres to
traditional forms, while sometimes departing from them? Illustrate with reference to
either the Ninth Symphony or the Quartet Op. 131 (i.e. discuss the observance of and
deviation from tradition in one of these works, and the effects or purposes of some of
these deviations).

3. In what ways is Der Freischütz both an extension of and a development from the
Singspiel genre of German opera/music theatre?

4. Discuss some of the key developments found in Der Freischütz and how this work
influenced later composers such as Richard Wagner.  
 
5. ‘It is easy to generalise Romanticism as a revolution against Classicism, however it
is more apt to think of it as an evolution from Classical style.’ Drawing on scholarly
literature, discuss and evaluate the extent to which you agree with this statement?

6. Discuss and evaluate Verdi’s importance as a composer of opera in relation to the

work of his immediate predecessors.

7. Discuss and evaluate the extent to which Wagner may be said to be a truly
revolutionary composer.
 
8. ‘Debussy argued that he was not revolutionising but developing Western harmony’
(Deirdre Donnellon). To what extent is Debussy’s music both innovative and
traditional?

9. To what extent is Schoenberg’s ‘atonality’ a logical outcome of late romantic

chromaticism? Discuss with reference to a range of Schoenberg’s compositions and
scholarly opinion.

10. Discuss and evaluate the importance of Stravinsky’s rhythmic developments in the
Rite of Spring.

11. Discuss the concept of ‘Silence’ with regard to works by American experimental
composers in the 1950s.

12. Discuss the concepts of ‘Space’ and ‘Place’ by comparing works by Alvin Lucier
and R. Murray Schafer.
Please refer to the Music Student Handbook for information about the preparation and
submission of written coursework.

Assessment Proportion Week Date due Feedback

of overall due
mark
Essay 60% 19 Wednesday 6th December CAS mark
2017 Annotations to script
The essay should be Feedback form
submitted through
Turnitin. Paper copies are
not needed.

Essay length
The essay should be c. 2000 words

Bibliography
Your lecturers will be giving guidance regarding reading during the course itself. This
will take the form of books, scholarly articles and music scores. It is important for
your essay that, in addition to completing all of the class reading, you also read
independently. Students hoping to gain the highest grades need to show evidence of
independent working as well as having simply understood what was covered in class.
The bibliography should be laid out according to departmental guidelines as laid out
in the student handbook. An extensive bibliography should be appended at the end of
the essay. Essays without a bibliography may not pass and essays with a poor
bibliography (few items, insufficiently scholarly items) will not be considered for the
upper bands.

Please consult sections 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the music student handbook for information
on writing essays, producing a bibliography, producing references and all aspects of
submission.

Footnotes
The essay should contain properly formulated footnotes in line with music department
guidelines as laid out in the student handbook. It is expected that a good essay will
have a large number of footnotes acknowledging scrupulously not only the source of
all quotations but also where material has been drawn upon - from a book, article or
other source, even where you have not cited the material explicitly i.e. where you are
using your own words. It is understood that it is at times a matter of personal
judgement where exactly a footnote is necessary.