Instructor Class Description

Time Schedule:

• Autumn Quarter 2009
• Winter Quarter 2010

Stephen C Rumph
MUHST 508
Seattle Campus

Seminar in the Viennese Classical Period: 1760-1830

Prerequisite: MUHST 500.

Class description

This class provides an introduction to the musical semiotics, or the study of musical signs and meaning. We will survey studies from musicology, ethnomusicology, music theory, and popular-music studies. Weekly readings will cover such topics as music and myth, markedness theory, gesture and kinesthetic meaning, deconstructive theory, and psychosemiotics. This course should interest anyone who cares about the meaning of music.

Student learning goals

General method of instruction

We will spend class time discussing the weekly readings, assessing the various analyses through close listening. The instructor will also provide general background into the field of musical semiotics.

Recommended preparation

Class assignments and grading

There will be two papers. The first will be a review of an assigned book or series of articles. The second will be an actual semiotic analysis, on a topic chosen by the student. There will be no midterm or final.

Class participation, papers, in-class presentations.

Office of the Registrar
For problems and questions about this web page contact icd@u.washington.edu,
otherwise contact the instructor or department directly.
Modified:November 11, 2009