MYL 503E Eurogenetic Music Theory

Spring 2022

Instructor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jerfi Aji (jerfi_aji@yahoo.com)

Class Time: Tuesdays 18:00-21:00 ; office hours by appointment
Teaching Assistant: Gökçe Göknel (gokcegoknel@yahoo.com)

Course Description:
This compulsory theory course centers on the analysis of classical form, focusing primarily
on the instrumental music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Various analytical techniques
will be investigated in order to be able to analyze large-scale formal designs of entire
movements by the end of the semester. An emphasis will be placed on the development of
critical listening skills required to cultivate an understanding of the relationship between
melodic-motivic material and formal constituents. The repertoire to be analyzed will include
piano sonatas, chamber works and symphonies by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Selected
works from the Romantic period and the 20th century will also be explored from a form-
analytical perspective. The last class of the semester will focus on the relationship between
form and harmony in rock music based on a recently published theory (see textbook below).

Pre-requisite:
MYL 807E Introduction to Music Theory (or equivalent)

Required Textbook:
Caplin, William E. Analyzing Classical Form: An Approach for the Classroom. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2013.

Other Textbook:
Nobile, Drew. Form as Harmony in Rock Music. New York: Oxford University Press, 2020.

Grading:
 Midterm exam (25%)
 Final exam (25%)
 Assignments (25%) – a total of 4 assignments on harmonic and form analysis
 Listening journal (15%) – a short weekly commentary written on a work of your choice
(you need to submit 4 commentaries in total throughout the semester)
 Quizzes (10%)
Course Syllabus:

Reading:
Week Topic
Caplin (2013)

1 Preliminaries & An Overview of Sonata Form

2 Conventional Theme Types – I: Sentence and Period Chapters 2 and 3

Conventional Theme Types – II: Compound Themes;

3 Ch. 5 and 6
Deviations and Framing Functions
Conventional Theme Types – III: Small Ternary Theme;
4 Ch. 7 and 8
Small Binary Theme

5 Sonata Form - Exposition – I: Main Theme and Transition Ch. 10 and 11

6 Sonata Form - Exposition – II: Subordinate Theme Ch. 12

7 MIDTERM

8 Sonata Form – Development Ch. 13

9 Sonata Form - Recapitulation and Coda Ch. 14 and 15

Large Ternary, Theme and Variations, Sonata Without

10 Ch. 17
Development

11 Binary Form; Minuet and Trio Form; Concerto Form Ch. 18 and 20

12 Rondo Forms Ch. 19

Form Analysis of Selected Works from the Romantic Period

13
and 20th Century

14 Form as Harmony in Rock Music