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Unit of study_

EMUS1670: Pre-Baroque Practice

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - Sydney

This Unit of Study will give vocal and instrumental students both theoretical and practical experience in pre-Baroque European music. Students will examine the basics of sixteenth- and early-seventeenth-century performance practice, discover how the sixteenth-century musical mind approached art, and understand how perceptions of the music of this period are coloured by modern aesthetics. Students will learn about and apply practices elucidated in a range of historical written texts to sacred and secular ensemble music of the era, using historically appropriate instruments and/or techniques.

Unit details and rules

Unit code EMUS1670
Academic unit
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Daniel Yeadon, daniel.yeadon@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Matthew Manchester, matthew.manchester@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation Tutorial participation and preparation
Participation
20% Ongoing Ongoing
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO10 LO9 LO8 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Creative assessment / demonstration Workshop performance
Performance and recital
30% Week 11 15-20 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO10 LO9 LO8 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Critique of a performance
Essay
20% Week 11
Due date: 23 Oct 2022 at 23:59
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9 LO10
Presentation Spoken presentation
Oral presentation
30% Week 12 15-20 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO10 LO9 LO8 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2

Assessment summary

  • Tutorial participation and preparation: Participation through engagement in tutorial discussion and activities, evidence of readings and preparation of divisions or other written work.
  • Critique of a performance: A critique of one performance of C16th or C17th music from Youtube, or a live performance.
  • Spoken presentation: Present on historically informed performance practice of the C16th or early C17th.
  • Workshop performance: Solo or group performance in class.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The following assessment criteria are used for performance work in this unit of study:

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Comprehensive and outstanding technical control and musical integrity in relation to developmental expectations. Musical individuality consistently projected to create a persuasive personal representation of the work. Performance flair indicative of soloist standard. A mark of 95 or above indicates extraordinary technical virtuosity and musical artistry.

Distinction

75 - 84

Excellent technical, musical and stylistic achievement. Consistently coherent and expressive performance. Some personal interpretation of the work suggesting soloist potential. 

Credit

65 - 74

Confident technique with evidence of solid musicality and some stylistic achievement. Occasional lapses indicative of unresolved technical, artistic and/or stylistic issues. Projects potential for further development.

Pass

50 - 64

Satisfactory level of preparation and musical engagement. Some inconsistencies in musicianship, style and/or technique. Musical imagination and overall performance sense developing though some insecurity in this area.

Fail

0 - 49

Unsatisfactory technical achievement and/or unsatisfactory level of musical and artistic engagement. Limitations may be of such a scale and consistency as to call into question the student’s future direction in the programme.

The following assessment criteria are used for written work in this unit of study:

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Demonstrates high level of initiative in research and reading; sophisticated critical analysis of evidence; high level engagement with theoretical issues, innovative use of reading/research material and impressive command of underlying debates and assumptions; properly documented and written with style, originality and precision.

Distinction

75 - 84

Demonstrates initiative in research and wide, appropriate reading; complex understanding of question and ability to critically review material in relation to underlying assumptions and values; analyses material in relation to empirical and theoretical contexts; properly documented; clear, well-developed structure and argument with some signs of literary style.

Credit

65 - 74

Evidence of broader understanding than pass level; offers synthesis with some critical evaluation of material; coherent argument using a range of relevant evidence; some evidence of independent thought, good referencing. A high credit (70-74) shows some evidence of ability to problematise and think conceptually.

Pass

50 - 64

Written work meets basic requirements in terms of reading/research; relevant material; tendency to descriptive summary rather than critical argument; makes a reasonable attempt to avoid paraphrasing; reasonably coherent structure; often has weaknesses in particular areas, especially in terms of narrow or underdeveloped treatment of question; acceptable documentation.

Fail

0 - 49

Work may fail for any or all of the following reasons: Unacceptable paraphrasing; irrelevance of content; poor spelling; poor presentation; grammar or structure so sloppy it cannot be understood; failure to demonstrate understanding of content; insufficient or overlong word length.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Solmization Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO10
Week 02 C16th and C17th performance basics Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO10
Week 03 Ornamentation, passaggi and divisions Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO10
Week 04 Reading facsimile and mensural notation Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO5 LO10
Week 05 Modes and cadences Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO7 LO10
Week 06 Pitch, transposition, tuning and temperament Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6 LO10
Week 07 Rhetoric Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO9 LO10
Week 08 Improvised counterpoint Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO10
Week 09 Renaissance dance Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO10
Week 10 Workshop performance assessment Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO5 LO10
Week 11 Student presentations Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO8 LO9
Week 12 Student presentations Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO8 LO9

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for a unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned. The Dean, Head of School or professor most concerned may determine that a student fails a unit of study because of inadequate attendance. Alternatively, at their discretion, they may set additional assessment items where attendance is lower than 90%.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

See Canvas Historical Performance site for recommended readings.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. demonstrate a good working knowledge of the concepts of historically informed performance as they pertain to pre-Baroque European music
  • LO2. apply skills in musicological research to performance
  • LO3. solmize C16th repertoire at sight
  • LO4. improvise pre-Baroque divisions and ornaments
  • LO5. read and perform from C16th & C17th facsimile notation
  • LO6. demonstrate a working understanding of historical temperaments and tuning systems
  • LO7. apply an understanding of mode to performance
  • LO8. present an academic research paper on historical performance practice
  • LO9. write critically about historical performance, with reference to primary sources
  • LO10. perform repertoire from the pre-Baroque era in an informed and effective way.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made to course content since this unit was last offered.

See Canvas Historical Performance site for more detailed course information and regular announcements.

Work, health and safety

Covid-19 safety guidelines will apply to any seminar meetings in person at the SCM.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.