Words and music
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| 6 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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Summary
We are surrounded by song. Practised from the beginnings of humanity and in every society in the world, its importance is undiminished today. But what is it about singing, and listening to others sing, that makes it so significant? This course considers the relationship between words and music, speaking and singing, poetry and song – in settings from intimate to public, and from religious to secular. You’ll explore works by Bizet, Wagner, Handel and Schubert, alongside liturgical music, Indian art songs and rap. Related literature includes Hindi devotional poetry, Urdu ghazals, Boccaccio, Milton and Proust. The course will suit students from both music and literature backgrounds.
Course content
This course discusses song in intimate situations; in the public spectacle of opera; in ritual (both religious and secular); issues of musical narrative; and music as an element in literature. It explores the importance of song through a range of pertinent issues, from debates on the evolution of song and speech to word setting in the Christian mass and in Hindi devotional verse; from the role of song in musical narratives such as Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde to literary efforts to capture the experience of song in words. It invites you to consider an extremely diverse set of repertories from an equally wide range of perspectives. The core materials are provided – written materials as well as audio CDs and DVD – but you’ll also develop independent learning. You are encouraged to investigate repertories and issues that particularly interest you using online resources (access to many of which is provided as part of the course). In the final course essay you’ll refer to approaches explored in the course but can also incorporate material you have located yourself.
The course is organised in three books, which cover three broad but overlapping themes: Song, Performance and Ritual, and Narrative. The three course books are supplemented by additional readings, musical scores, audio CDs, a DVD and online resources. The course is suitable for anyone interested in the topic, including both music and literature students. A basic knowledge of musical notation will be useful, but you don’t need to be able to read scores fluently or analyse them in any depth.
The contents of the three books are as follows.
Book 1, Words and Song comprises four chapters, the first of which sets the scene for the book (and the course as a whole) by exploring the relationship between speaking and singing. Here you’ll find the widest range of material anywhere in the course in terms of both writings and musical case studies (which include ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ and west African talking drums). This chapter concludes with a DVD-based section comparing the approaches of women singers from very different musical worlds, using performance and interview material. Chapter two addresses the theme of intimate song performance, highlighting in particular one of the great intimate works of the European tradition, Schubert’s song-cycle Winterreise. The third chapter discusses the relationship between words and music in different varieties of Indian art song, and the last chapter comprises a case study of Bizet’s Carmen. This chapter - which focuses on Francesco Rosi’s film version of the opera and its relationship with both the opera itself and the Mérimée novella that inspired it - gives plenty of scope for applying ideas raised in the first three chapters. At the end of this and the following book, a week has been designated as an independent study week, in which you can investigate any of the ideas raised so far in greater detail.
Book 2, Song, Performance and Ritual considers song as publicly performed, and in relation to ritual contexts. Chapter five considers song performance as it influences broader social situations and concerns: case studies consider, for instance, rap’s role in the projection of a performer’s identity and status, songs of social comment or political protest, and the work of Sicilian storyteller Mauro Geraci. The next chapter discusses the theme of ‘ritual’ in more detail, taking in case studies such as carols, Stravinsky’s Les Noces (in which a traditional Russian wedding rite is staged) and a more recent piece by Australian composer Andrew Schultz, Journey to Horseshoe Bend, which draws on both European and Aboriginal themes. Finally, chapter seven focuses on the example of the Christian liturgy, considering changing approaches to word setting in the fifteenth and sixteenth century and the impact of humanist thought.
The final book, Musical Narratives, considers the role of song in staged narratives as well as literary evocations of musical performance. Chapter eight is dedicated to the story of Samson, from the Bible via Milton’s Samson Agonistes to Handel’s oratorio Samson. Chapter nine is dedicated to another major musical work, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, discussing the composer’s theories relating to words, music and narrative, and their application in his music. The following chapter considers the relationship between musical performance and the writing of Marcel Proust and George Eliot, both of whom engaged explicitly with the subject. The book ends with a chapter on the Broadway musical, in which the relation between words, music and narrative is considered in music from Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, and others.
Tutor-marked assignments are designed to help you achieve balanced learning, stressing generic and transferable skills such as effective use of online resources and the application of appropriate academic conventions in your writing. They also develop your ability to consider written and musical sources critically and to construct your own arguments about them effectively. At the end of the course you’ll be able to focus on a repertory that particularly interests you in the light of issues raised in the course materials, writing a course essay which will demonstrate your ability to draw on your own independent work.
While the course does not relate directly to specific vocational or professional training requirements, the transferable skills acquired are essential in a wide range of work situations involving the collection and ordering of information, the management of time, and the formal presentation of written work.
Entry
This is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at Levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject. This course is designed for those who have studied either music or literature (or both) but it does not assume technical knowledge of either, thus both musical and literary techniques are introduced as the course progresses. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
If you have time, familiarise yourself with the substantial works of music and literature studied in the course. These include the set books – in particular the CDs and DVD – as well as the CD of Winterreise (provided with the course materials), Milton’s Samson Agonistes and other literary works to be found in the course texts.
Qualifications
AA317 is an optional course in our
- BA (Honours) Humanities (B03) (with Music)
- Diploma in Music (D22)
- BA (Honours) Humanities (B03)
- BA/BSc (Honours) European Studies (B10)
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is suitable for a BA. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
This course includes some listening activities, and listening skills may be tested in tutor-marked assignments. Written transcripts of the spoken sections of audio-visual materials and and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and musical notation and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the course materials can be provided on request. Where possible, music examples are available online in audible form. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials, DVDs, audio CDs, course website, online forums.
You will need
CD player and DVD player (CD and DVD material can also be played back through your PC).
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Materials to buy
Set books
- Clayton, Martin (ed) Music, Words and Voice: A Reader, Manchester University Press £15.99 - ISBN 9780719077883
Other materials
- Bizet: Francesco Rosi (Director) Carmen (1985 film version), EMI £19.99 (This DVD is currently unavailable. Suitable alternatives will be advised.)
- Wagner: Conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler Tristan and Isolde (EMI Classics 4 CD box set), EMI £17.99 (EMI Classics Historical Series 7243 5 85873 2 6. Available from internet retailers.)
- Handel: Harry Christophers (Conductor) Samson (3 CD box set), The Sixteen £14.25 (Only available as advised in the Set Book Requirements Letter, at a special discount.)
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course; some may be held online. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2010. We expect it to be available once a year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Arts and Humanities.
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