COURSE SPECIFICATION FORM

for new course proposals and course amendments

Academic Session: 2008-09 and thereafter,

DEPARTMENT OF: Music
as offered
Status:
Course Code: MU2230 Course Value: 0.5 Optional; Honours
(i.e.: Core, or Optional)
Availability:
Course Title: Musical Aesthetics (state which teaching Autumn or Spring
terms)
Prerequisites: None Recommended: None
Co-ordinator: Prof. Julian Johnson
Course Staff: Prof. Julian Johnson
Aims: This course will:
• Introduce students to a representative range of texts on musical aesthetics (in
translation)
• Develop students’ analytical capacity and their written and oral presentation skills
• Encourage the application of philosophical ideas to the criticism and analysis of music

Learning By the end of this course students should:

Outcomes: • Have some familiarity with the principal issues dealt with in aesthetic writing on music
since the 18th century, and some capacity for criticizing them
• Have improved their oral and written skills in analysing texts and music generally

Course 10 seminars with discussion, each dealing with one group of related texts (or a single text)
Content: and the critical, philosophical and musical issues it raises. The selection of texts is likely to
vary each time the course is taught, but the following is a representative list of topics:
• Musical Aesthetics within Systematic Philosophy
• Aesthetics of Instrumental Music
• The Reception of Beethoven
• Absolute and Programme Music
• Formalism from Kant to Stravinsky
• Hegel and Historical Spirit
• Music and Representation
• The Expression of Emotion
• Modernism and Modernity
• New Music and Politics
20 hours of lectures/seminars, in conjunction with formative activity, with tutorial feedback,
Teaching &
Learning contributing to some 130 hours of private study, resulting in the notional total of 150 hours of
Methods: study for the course.

Key Ruth Katz and Carl Dahlhaus, ed., Contemplating Music: Source Readings in the Aesthetics
Bibliography: of Music, vols. 1-4 (New York, 1987-93)
Oliver Strunk, ed., Source Readings in Music History (rev. edn, ed. Leo Treitler), vols. 1-7
(New York, 1998)
Roger Scruton, The Aesthetics of Music (Oxford, 1997)
Edward A. Lippman, ed., Musical Aesthetics: A Historical Reader, vols. 1-3 (Stuyvesant, N.Y.,
1986-90)
Lippman, Edward A., A History of Western Musical Aesthetics (Lincoln, NE, 1992)
Formative One essay of 2500-2750 words to be completed during the course and contributing to the
Assessment final course mark; the essay to be returned with tutorial mark and written comment, together
& Feedback: with annotations where appropriate. See also under Teaching and Learning Methods.
Exam: 2 questions from 6 in 2 hours (50%)
Summative
Assessment: Coursework: One essay of 2500-2750 words completed during the course (50%)
Deadlines: The essay to be submitted by the appropriate in-course deadline in order to
qualify for final submission for assessment.

The information contained in this course outline is correct at the time of publication, but may be subject to change as part of the Department’s
policy of continuous improvement and development. Every effort will be made to notify you of any such changes.