Courses Offered in Fall 2023 (112AY 1S)

This course focuses on the various definitions of music aesthetics and its relationship to the Western art music tradition and European culture. Our case studies derive from the writings of music critics, authors, composers, and philosophers between the eighteenth- to the twentieth century. In the first half of the semester, we will study Hanlisck’s On the Beautiful in Music, a controversial work that is normally considered the starting point of the music aesthetics. We will read use the writings by Milton Babbitt, Walter Benjamin, and Roland Barthes to delve into issues regarding the relationship between modern music and its audience, the reading of art when it is mechanically reproduced, and the idea of the author.

We will use various repertories and performance events (concerts, museum trips) to complement our readings. Performance majors are encouraged to bring their instruments to demonstrate their points during their presentations.