Humanities, University of Southampton

Students will examine many core pieces from the repertoire in preparation for their assignments.

Co-ordinator:  Dr Michael Zev Gordon

Students will develop their technical facility in composition, their awareness of the differing practical aspects of composition (sketching (transcribing ‘ideas’), manipulation of materials, notation, editing, learning from performance, revision etc.) and their music analytical skills. Various specific techniques will be developed: these may include complex rhythmic thinking (developing skills acquired in Composition Workshop A), serial methods and composing with pre-existing materials.

Analyses of core pieces will take place in lectures and be further developed in tutorial sessions, which will form the basis of class discussion. Fellow students and, where appropriate, the course tutor will workshop the pieces composed during the course.

One two-hour lecture per week.

The best background preparation is to immerse yourself in as much contemporary classical music as possible – listening and examining scores. All can be useful, though composers central to the tradition who should be explored are Stravinsky and Schoenberg, while more recent composers, knowledge of whose works is indispensable, include Luciano Berio, Steve Reich, György Ligeti and Arvo Pärt.

Three composition assignments, each worth 33.3%.