Course Day and Time:  Thursday 7:10-9:00

Credits:  2

Room B-600

Office Hours: 12:00-1:00 Monday, 7:00-9:00 Tuesday, 3:00-4:30 Thursday, and by appointment: Please see my schedule, which is posted on the door of my office.  If you need to schedule an appointment, please call our administrative assistant, Autumn Nova, (212) 625-0500 ext. 6188. 

Phone: (212) 927-1015 Home

            (917) 825 8697 cell

            (212) 625-0500 ext. 6187 Office

E-Mail dana.talley@nyack.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

Opera can either be electrifying or such a bore you wonder why you came. It is the purpose of this class to assist singers, and potential singing teachers, to understand the electrifying kind – full of warmth, humor, and communication, as well as edification and instruction.  We must learn not just to be consummate musicians, but entertainers and for that we need to understand history to be better performers.

This course is designed as a guide to listening, and a beginning to understanding, opera. For this reason it does not provide a comprehensive overview of the entire operatic repertory. Armed with the knowledge of opera gained from this course, however, we will be able to explore in greater depth the extraordinary and compelling world of opera and prepare you to begin the study of opera in earnest for yourself. The history of opera will be traced from its beginning in the early seventeenth century to around 1924, with references to landmark operas, musical, cultural, and social developments, and historical events that influenced opera's growth.

OBJECTIVES AND OUTLINE OF CLASSES:

We should be all able to identify excerpts of the major German, Italian, French, and English language operas of the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th centuries. Composers should include Beethoven, Weber, Mozart, Gluck, Monteverdi, Johann Strauss, Jr., Wagner, Richard Strauss, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Offenbach, Puccini, Verdi, Gounod, Bizet, Massenet Debussy, Berg, Britten, Stravinsky and Leoncavallo, and a few others.

In MUS 351, each of you will have assigned one opera from the 18^th, 19^th, or 20^th century, as an example to show how to study the major operatic works.  This will include the study of the music, plot, composers, librettists, and singers who created these operas, as well as the political and social environment in which the creators worked. We will also discuss the performance requirements of the operas (vocal and dramatic types needed for various roles, chorus, ballet, etc.) You all will need to know the characteristics of Italian opera seria, opera buffa, and verismo, in addition to major German operas and French opéra comique and Grand opera. A 30-40 minute oral report will be required of all students of an assigned composers looking at this one opera in depth. 

The German “Fach” system designation for each role will also be identified.  This system, in opera and song, has pitch categories that are sub-divided into voice-types which reflect not just the singer's range, but also the dramatic requirements of his or her roles. However, beyond all categorization and sub categorization, a singer has to learn to choose repertoire that is within his/her physical capabilities, and to begin to find out what is good and what is not for their voice! The goal is to equip you with both knowledge the literature and what roles would best suit both you as a singer or conductor and potentially your future students and the general skills needed to enable you to do your own interpretation of any composer.

An important component of this course will be recognition of significant standard repertory. There will be 12-13 lectures and one or two field trips and many musical examples and videos will be played and discussed.  A long listening list will be distributed the second week of class. You will be expected to identify these operatic excerpts by title and composer on the listening tests which will be your only written midterm and final examinations. There will be four short quizzes to prepare you for these exams. This course will also endeavor to enable you to recognize composers by their style, so that, even without knowing a song, you can make an educated guess about who wrote it. In both exams you will be asked to make an "informed guess" about the composer of a particular written or aural excerpt.

Students will be expected to attend an opera performance at Juilliard, Mannes, or Manhattan School of Music, and provide written reaction, to the performance of other students and to compare it to recorded examples.

Instead of a performance at one of the above schools we may decide to attend one of the following: (We will vote at our first class)

1. South Pacific at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre 150 West 65th Street Beginning in March. This revival, the first time South Pacific has been seen on Broadway since its premiere in 1949. The original production garnered extraordinary acclaim and countless awards including nine Tonys and a Pulitzer Prize. The revival includes such classic songs as "Some Enchanted Evening," "Bali Ha'i," and "Nothing Like a Dame."
2. The Phantom of the Opera, Now the longest-running show in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera has played to over 100 million people in 22 countries in 113 cities around the world since its first performance. The New York production alone has enchanted over 10 million audience members in its over 19-year run.
3. A Chorus Line, Winner of nine Tony Awards, including “Best Musical” and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this singular sensation is the longest-running American musical ever.
4.  A Opera at NYC OPERA

Any Weekday Evening at @ 8pm if you have an evening class you will receive a field trip excuse from the Director.  We will vote as a class as to the date we wish to attend or Nozze di Figaro with Jhasoa Agosto!

STUDENT LEARNING GOALS:  The purpose of this course is to increase your understanding, appreciation, enjoyment, and love of opera. With this in mind, upon successful completion of the course, you should be able to do the following:

INFORMATION LITERACY REQUIREMENT:

1. The student will visit the class website, http://ncmcmusic.com/gpage3.html,

and submit a one page evaluation of the contents making suggestions for additions. This will be done at the beginning and at the end of the semester.

2. The student will download Real Audio player and learn how to use audio streaming technology. The student will be required to listen to music from the website and identify it on exams.

3. The student will sign in to naxosmusiclibrary.com to prepare for their oral presentations.  The login is NYACK01 and the password is NYACK01

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:

There is no required text.  Assignments will be made from the Internet and from in-class discussions.

Optional Suggested Anthology:

Orrey, Leslie. Opera: A Concise History, revised edition, World Art Series, (New York: W.W. Norton, 1987, ISBN: 0-500-20217-6).

Reference materials, recordings, repertoire (and even listening centers) may be found at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza (212) 870-1630 http://webpac.nypl.org/leo.html  This is a wonderful resource, but not a substitute for the student developing a music library of his or her own.  MANY additional suggested books and web links will be found on the required class website.

WEB RESOURCES:

Class website: http://www.songsofpeace.com/ncmcmusic/voice/mus234.htm    or

http://www.ncmcmusic.com/gpage3.html

Free Concerts: (Also to fulfill the concert attendance requirement)

Juilliard School  http://www.juilliard.edu/search/calendar.asp

Manhattan School of Music http://www.msmnyc.edu/2002-2003Concerts.htm

Metropolitan Opera  http://www.metopera.org/season/

New Your City Opera  http://www.nycopera.com/www/season/index.cfm

REQUIRED FIELD TRIPS:

There will be one or two required class field trips this semester decided by class vote. Additionally, you may attend the other performances for extra credit and add to your journal:

GRADING, CLASS ASSIGNMENTS, AND EVALUATIONS:

Grades will be assigned to the projects and examinations described and students will complete the following projects, in addition to taking two extensive listening tests in a traditional format:

1. One report on an opera, of an assigned composer, which must include either recorded examples or live performances of their literature. These in-class reports will be 30-40 minutes in length, which must include either videos, recorded examples, or live performances. These reports must not just be quoted material from a book or website, but given in your own words, about two pages each, with the videos and/or musical examples. (Five minutes of the oral report is biography, and 25-35 minutes of musical examples and your reaction to the music.)

2. Listening Journal: Students will listen to assigned recorded examples, Nyack student recitals, and two required field trips, and keep a journal of their observations. (both analytical and aesthetic). There will be required attendance at several student recitals and opera performances during the semester.

The above are weighted as follows:

Listening Tests (2) 35%

Quizzes (4) 10%

Oral Presentation (1) 25%

Class participation and prompt, consistent attendance 15%

Listening Journal including web analysis 15%

Extra credit can be obtained by attending additional opera performances or master classes and adding comments to your journal. (Up to 30% additional credit)

Class time will be divided between lecture and discussion. Your participation in class discussions will be a consideration in determining your final grade.

ATTENDANCE, PUNCTUALITY:

Your grade will be reduced after one un-excused absence.  Students are to arrive on time.  If you are 15 minutes late, it will be considered half an absence.  Students are expected to attend every class. In the unusual event that an absence is unavoidable, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain the relevant notes, materials, videos, or recordings. Missed exams or tests can be made up at the Instructor’s discretion. Excessive absence (greater than 25% of class meetings) will result in a failing grade. All students are required to have access to the Online Course Resources via the Internet. 

Electronic Devices: It is expected that ALL electronic devices be MUTED during class time.  Do not answer phone calls or text messages during class. ALL cell phones are to be kept off for all exams. If you are a health care worker, policeman, fireman, or other profession that requires that a cell phone be on, please inform the professor at the beginning of the semester.

STUDENT HANDBOOK REQUIREMENT:

In addition to the information in the college catalog, all students are responsible for the requirements, regulations, and information in the NCMC Music Handbook.  Please put the following link in your browser:  http://www.ncmcmusic.com/Handbook.htm

Reasonable Accommodation: 

Any student eligible for and requesting academic accommodations due to a disability is required to provide a letter of accommodation from the Office of Disabilities Support Services within the first two weeks of the beginning of classes. Any student who has a learning disability is encouraged to speak privately Professor Adelaide Pabon the 504 coordinator for Nyack College/New York City. 

CLASS CALENDAR: Spring Semester, 2010 (This is only approximate and will be adjusted when the field trips are assigned and oral presentations finalized after the first class meeting.)

Class 1, Jan. 22: Introduction and Words and Music Music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque.

Class 2, Jan. 29: A Brief History of Vocal Expression in Music What is my Fach?  New Calendar distributed.

Class 3, Feb. 4: The invention of Opera and Monteverdi's Orfeo

Class 4, Feb. 11: The Growth of Opera, the Development of Italian

Opera Seria, and Mozart's  Magic Flute

Class 5, Feb. 18: The Rise of Opera Buffa and Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and The Bel Canto Style and Rossini's The Barber of Seville

Class 6, Feb. 25: Verdi and Otello

Class 7, Mar. 4: French Opera PLUS Mid-Term Listening test

Class 8, Mar. 11: NO CLASS We will replace this class with a field trip to an Opera performance.

Mar. 18: No Class—Happy Spring Break! 

Class 9, Mar. 25: German Opera

Class 10, Apr. 1: Late Romantic German Opera— Richard Strauss and Salome

Class 11, Apr. 8 Russian Opera  JOURNALS DUE

Class 12, Apr. 15: Verismo, Pagliacci, Puccini, and Tosca and Richard Strauss's last opera, Capriccio

Class 13, Apr. 22: Oral Presentations

Class 14, Apr. 29:  Possible Oral Presentations;  Final exam: Listening test

MUSIC PROGRAM GOALS

1. To graduate students who have acquired and developed the academic skills of reading carefully and critically, communicating clearly and cogently, thinking analytically and synthetically.

1a. By designing into the music history sequence a comprehensive overview of western music and related religious, philosophical, political, scientific, and social developments.

1b. By designing into music literature courses the appreciation and understanding of non-Western music of the church, including research components and the analysis of contemporary phenomena in these areas.

1c. By fostering the aural development, kinesthetic processes, and aesthetic sensitivities which form the basis of professional caliber musicianship.

2.  To graduate students who have achieved a broad understanding of human learning.

2a. By fostering in our students the skills and motivation for life-long learning and participation in music.

2b. By encouraging all students to value the creativity of the human spirit and the aesthetic dimension of life.

2c. By promoting involvement in campus life through participation in aesthetic and cultural activities.

3. To graduate students who have achieved an in-depth understanding of one  field of study by meeting the requirements of at least one major

3a. By training our students to acquire the theoretical and practical skills required by music educators, church       musicians, performers and composers.  

3b. By fostering a broad knowledge of music literature, both sacred and secular, through study and performance.

3c. By employing a competency-based approach for course design and requirements throughout the program while       encouraging artistic creativity.

3d. By cultivating career programs and awareness in the various music and music- related fields.

3e. By utilizing the cultural resources of various metropolitan New York area institutions.

4. To graduate students who have achieved a basic Christian worldview understanding which can serve as a basis for interpreting experience

4a. By providing experiences in Christian ministry involving music in the Christian and  Missionary Alliance and      other churches.

4b. By promoting a sense of Christian love and caring throughout the endeavors of the School of  Music.

4c. By building the self-esteem of the individual through musical achievement in the Christian context.

4d. By fostering a respect for diverse forms of music, worship, and culture.

5. To strengthen a sense of civic responsibility to the community

5a. By promoting in our students an appreciation for the opportunities and responsibilities which exist in a democratic society concerning the arts.

5b. By encouraging involvement in civic affairs through music and the allied arts

NYACK COLLEGE CORE GOALS

1- Socially Relevant

1a. Students will recognize the value of economic, political, social, and systems as tools for positive change.

1b. Students will apply a foundation of compassion and integrity to their chosen field of study.

1c. Students will demonstrate servant leadership as they engage the community and marketplace.

2- Academically Excellent

2a. Students will attain an educational foundation in arts and humanities, science, mathematics, and social science.

2b. Students will be able to communicate in oral and written form and demonstrate information and technological literacy.

2c. Students will demonstrate critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills across the curriculum.

3- Globally Engaged

3a. Students will understand the interplay of historical, cultural, and geographical realities of the global community.

3b. Students will value diversity through an understanding of worldviews, languages, cultures, and peoples.

3c. Students will engage in service opportunities within the global community.

4- Intentionally Diverse

4a. Students will understand the heritages and traditions of diverse peoples and cultures.

4b. Students will appreciate the need to promote biblical principles of social equality.

4c. Students will engage in interactions and relationships with those from diverse backgrounds.

5- Emphasizing Personal Transformation

5a. Students will grow in their faith as they pursue God’s purpose in their lives.

5b. Students will integrate their Christian worldview into learning and service.

           5c. Students will apply discipleship principles to assist in the personal transformation of others.