MUTH 5360
–
Advanced Orchestration – Spring 2008
Weekly Seminar: Weds.
1:00-2:50 PM - Room TBA + 30 minute weekly individual appointment
Dr. Robert
Frank, OFAC
2018 - Office Hours as posted on Office Door and web site
(214)
768-2142 - email:
robfrank@smu.edu
http://faculty.smu.edu/robfrank
Required
Texts: Any of the standard modern orchestration texts with
approval
of instructor (must own): Adler, Blatter, etc.
On
Reserve:
Assorted
Scores and recordings (see list).
PDF Files of scores
also
may be provided. Other readings, scores and recordings as
needed
Other
Materials: 8 1/2 x 11 staff paper, black fine tip ink pens, blue
pencils,
rulers, curves, etc.
Students will make use of Finale in the CITA lab or other
software as
approved by the instructor.
Prerequisites,
Rationale, and Overview:
Prerequisite:
MUTH 5330 Instrumentation & Arranging, or consent
of the
instructor. This class is the second semester of a two-semester
sequence in
orchestration. Designed primarily
for composition majors and music majors desiring advanced training in
arranging
and orchestration, its purpose is to provide young composers with an
introduction and practiced fluency in scoring for large ensembles,
including
band, chorus and orchestra. Modern
composers are called upon to score in a wide variety of styles in
addition to
their own. An ability to arrange
and score in appropriate historical styles is a skill that is required
for any
career in film, stage, or commercial music composition. These career
needs also
match the approach to the teaching of orchestration that was used by
the
masters: that of stylistic emulation.
As students study and practice historical styles and techniques
through
analysis and short
reduction/arranging projects, it is hoped that they will both
gain
experience and fluency in quickly and accurately scoring for large
ensembles,
and also expand the vocabulary of techniques that will allow them to
develop
their own craft into a more informed, mature style.
One of the most important skills in orchestration is the
development of
listening/aural skills, and hearing large ensembles in rehearsal is one
of the
best ways to develop that skill.
Our ensemble directors have welcomed us to sit in on rehearsals,
and
pending student schedules we will make every effort to do so throughout
the
semester.
Course
Aims, Objectives and Methodology:
The course
will cover topics in orchestration
via classroom presentations and lectures, score analysis, written,
reading,
& listening assignments, numerous reduction and scoring
"mini-projects" and a final project. A
composer must be able to quickly and accurately put to
paper his or her ideas. To help
students master this skill, most weekly activities will consist of a
group
seminar which presents and examines scores and techniques, and a
mini-project
usually consisting of either reducing a short excerpt from a
representative
work or the orchestration of a short piano/reduction excerpt of that
period/style. Occasionally, a
short written analysis of an orchestration technique or style may be
assigned
instead. There will be
approximately 10 of these weekly mini-projects. Students
should plan to spend approximately 2 hours per week
on each project plus one hour per week on reading/analysis for in-class
discussions. Students will bring
their projects in to weekly individual lessons for help and critique.
Mini-projects may be shared with the rest of the students in the
following
week's seminar. Through these
activities, it is hoped that students will gain experience in
orchestrating and
fluency in the following skills:
Evaluation
and Assessment:
All
assignments are due at the beginning of the
seminar on the due date. Late or
incomplete assignments will receive a 25% reduction in grade. Each reduction/arrangement/analysis
mini-project will be worth 100 points.
The goal of these projects is not perfection but rather to gain
experience, so if a mini-project scores above 90%, full credit (100
points)
will be awarded. Mini-projects
scoring lower than 90 will be allowed to be corrected and resubmitted
within
one week to receive full credit.
Two or more
unexcused absences will result in a
lowering of your grade as per the guidelines below.
Excused absences require a legitimate reason and
notification of the instructor at least one hour before the beginning
of the
missed class period via email, a phone message on my office phone, or
via the
music office. Active in-class
discussion participation is essential.
If, in the instructor's opinion, a student is unprepared or
unable to
participate, a ½ unexcused absence may be assessed.
Of course, every reasonable
accommodation will be made if the instructor is notified before that
class, so
please make known any and every concern.
A final
project will be completed in lieu of a
final exam. This project may be a large work for chorus+instruments,
orchestra,
or wind ensemble. Alternately, two
smaller projects for two different large ensembles may be completed. Every effort will be made to have the
project read and recorded by our ensembles. A complete, full-sized,
bound,
transposed score and complete set of parts (adhering to professional
format/notation standards) will be due before the reading
sessions,
on assigned dates (as per ensemble director requirements).
Late or incomplete projects may not
receive a reading and will receive at most 75% credit.
Projects may be an arrangement or
preferably an original composition and will be completed in
consultation with
the instructor. Rubrics will be
handed out when final projects are assigned and will cover assigned
topics and
guidelines covered in class.
It is
recognized that artistic liberty allows
professional artists to "break rules" or make exceptional demands on
a performer, however, it should also be noted that this is a university
course. Although creative and
innovative ideas are expected and encouraged, technical errors and work
outside
the guidelines and criteria of assignments and principles covered will
result
in a reduction of points.
General
Course Schedule:
Subject to
oral or written revision as per
the needs of the class.
|
Week
beginning |
General
Topic |
composer(s) |
|
January 14,
2008 |
Intro and
Instrumentation Review |
|
|
January 21,
2008 |
Baroque
style, Strings |
Vivaldi |
|
January 28,
2008 |
Block Style
Orch. WW, Brass |
Handel |
|
February 4,
2008 |
Contrapuntal
Scoring |
Bach |
|
February 11,
2008 |
WW, Phrase
and form |
Haydn &
Mozart |
|
February 18,
2008 |
Shape and
Build/color |
Mozart &
Beethoven |
|
February 25,
2008 |
Romantic Style |
Brahms,
Beethoven, et al. |
|
March 3, 2008 |
Brass, color
and motif |
Wagner |
|
March 10, 2008 |
SPRING
BREAK |
SPRING
BREAK |
|
March 17, 2008 |
mosaic and
impressionist scoring |
Ravel &
Debussey |
|
March 24, 2008 |
Modern
orchestral and choral scoring techniques |
Stravinsky |
|
March 31, 2008 |
Americana |
Copland |
|
April 7, 2008 |
Contemporary |
Lutoslawski |
|
April 14, 2008 |
Contemporary |
T.B.A. |
|
April 21, 2008 |
Final Projects |
students |
|
April 28, 2008 |
Final Projects |
students |
Note: Obviously,
these are but
a few of the major composers, and others may be added/substituted as
time and
class interest permit. Students
are encouraged to submit ideas and specific composers/works for
analysis.
Holidays
and other days with no classes:
Monday, January 21 (MLK Day); Friday March 21 (Good Friday); April 2-4 (Instructor presenting at
SEAMUS Conference); Wednesday, April 31 (last day of classes/follows
Friday
schedule); others as announced.
Project
reading days/times:
End of semester, pending schedules of ensembles and directors.
Rehearsals: We are
invited to
attend rehearsals of the orchestra and wind ensemble during their
normal
rehearsal times. Students are
asked to clear their schedules to accommodate this whenever possible. Field trips to DSO rehearsals for
premieres of new music may also be scheduled.
Grading:
Grades will
be calculated as follows:
Attendance
and in-class discussion (see below).......................20%
Assignments
and mini- projects..................................................50%
Final Project...................................................................................
30%
Attendance
Policy:
2
unexcused abs..........................................................................
-5%
3
unexcused abs........................................................................
-10%
4
unexcused abs........................................................................
-15%
5
unexcused abs. ......................................................................
-20%
instructor
reserves the right to drop any student with more than 5 unexcused
absences
Any unexcused
arrival
past 5 minutes after the beginning of class, or being unprepared to
fully
participate in a class discussion will be counted as ½ of an
unexcused
absence.
Academic
Honesty and Misconduct
You are bound
by the Honor Code and the SMU
Student Code of Conduct. For complete details, see:
http://www.smu.edu/studentlife/PCL_01_ToC.asp
Disability
Accommodations: Students needing
academic
accommodations for a disability must first contact Ms. Rebecca Marin,
Coordinator, Services for Students with
Disabilities (214-768-4557) to verify the disability and
establish
eligibility
for accommodations. They should then
schedule an appointment with the professor
to make appropriate arrangements.
(See University Policy No. 2.4.)
Religious
Observance: Religiously
observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require
missing class
should notify their professors in writing at the beginning
of the semester, and should discuss with them, in
advance, acceptable ways of making
up any work missed because of the absence. (See
University Policy No. 1.9.)