- Wednesday,
- January 8
|
- Show
Boat
- A couple of practical items:
- Please set Canvas notifications appropriately
and forward your FSU e-mail, if needed.
- Post a message on the discussion board
so I know you have access to Canvas.
- Reading:
- Act I of libretto for Show Boat
(available online)
- Listening:
- "Cotton Blossom" and "Ol'
Man River"
- Questions for discussion:
- Show Boat
was extraordinarily different from previous musicals. What topics
does Act I include that might have seemed too serious or controversial
for a musical in 1927?
- How does "Cotton Blossom"
establish the context for this show?
|
- Friday,
- January 10
|
- Reading:
- Act II of libretto for Show Boat
(available online)
- Listening:
- "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man"
and "Where's the Mate for Me?"
- To turn in:
- Focus on the scene in which "Can't
Help Lovin' Dat Man" first appears. (In the libretto online,
that's Act I, Scene 2, pages 21-25. The McGlinn recording includes
quite a bit of dialogue, and you can also stream the San Francisco
Opera performance.) How does this scene foreshadow later events
in the musical? Consider both the words and the music, and please
be specific.
- Additional questions for discussion:
- What shocking topics (for 1927) arise
in Act II?
- What musical signs in "Where's
the Mate for Me?" tell us that Magnolia and Ravenal belong
together?
|
- Monday,
- January 13
|
- Listening:
- "Only Make Believe," "You
Are Love," and "Why Do I Love You?"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
|
- Wednesday,
- January 15
|
- Listening:
- "Misery" (and surrounding
scene) and "Bill"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
- Additional questions for discussion:
- "Bill" was originally written
by Jerome Kern and P.G. Wodehouse for a different show. Why do
you think Kern and Hammerstein found it appropriate for Act II
of Show Boat?
- What is the form of "Bill"?
- Student presentation:
- Paul Robeson
|
- Friday,
- January 17
|
- Listening:
- Overture
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
- Student presentations:
- Florenz Ziegfeld
- Edna Ferber
|
- Monday,
- January 20
|
- Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day - no class
|
- Wednesday,
- January 22
|
- Carousel
- Reading:
- Complete libretto for Carousel
(available online)
- Listening:
- "Carousel Waltz," "You're
a Queer One, Julie Jordan," and "Mister Snow"
- Questions for discussion:
- In your opinion, does Carousel
excuse (or perhaps even condone) domestic violence?
- Billy Bigelow isn't the only flawed
character in this show. Pick another character and identify some
of his/her shortcomings.
|
- Friday,
- January 24
|
- Listening:
- Act I, scene 5 (the "Bench Scene")
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
|
- Monday,
- January 27
|
- Reading:
- Liliom
(available online)
- Listening:
- "When the Children are Asleep"
- To turn in:
- 1. Compare two pairs of equivalent
characters (one from Liliom, the other from Carousel).
For each pair, summarize how they are the same and also how they
are different.
- 2. Explain at least two important
plot differences between Liliom and Carousel.
- Additional question for discussion:
- Why do you think Hammerstein made
these changes in the characters and in the plot?
|
- Wednesday,
- January 29
|
- Listening:
- Billy's soliloquy
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
|
- Friday,
- January 31
|
- Listening:
- "Stone Cutters Cut It on Stone,"
"What's the Use of Wond'rin'?" and "You'll Never
Walk Alone"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
- Additional question for discussion:
- Is "Stone Cutters" just
comic relief, or are the characters expressing views that are
relevant to the show?
|
- Monday,
- February 3
|
- Listening:
- Louise's Ballet, "June is Bustin'
Out All Over," and "A Real Nice Clambake"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet.
Notice that you may convey answers as locations in the printed
score or timings on the recording -- and certainly there's no
need to handwrite on the worksheet if you'd prefer to type. (Submitting
work before class in an e-mail attachment is perfectly acceptable.)
- Additional questions for discussion:
- What do you think the music in the
ballet represents: observed events on Earth, Billy's thoughts,
or something else?
- Beyond an opportunity to incorporate
some dance, what do you think the ballet contributes to the show?
Is it purely for entertainment, or might it affect our understanding
of the plot?
|
- Wednesday,
- February 5
|
- South
Pacific
- Reading:
- Complete libretto for South Pacific
(available online)
- Listening:
- "Some Enchanted Evening"
- Student presentations:
- Ezio Pinza
- Mary Martin
|
- Friday,
- February 7
|
- Listening:
- "Bali Ha'i," "Bloody
Mary," and "There is Nothin' Like a Dame"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
|
- Monday,
- February 10
|
- Listening:
- "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right
Out-A My Hair," "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy,"
and "Honey Bun"
- For discussion:
- What makes these songs appropriate
for Nellie? Put differently, if Nellie didn't sing these songs,
how could we still recognize that the music represented her?
- Identify the passage that you find
most interesting in each song, and be prepared to describe what
makes it stand out to you. (Better yet: try to explain what is
going on in that interesting passage.)
|
- Wednesday,
- February 12
|
- Listening:
- "You've Got to be Carefully Taught"
and "Cockeyed Optimist"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
|
- Friday,
- February 14
|
- Listening:
- "This Nearly was Mine"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
- For discussion:
- What marks this song as European?
|
- Monday,
- February 17
|
- Listening:
- "Younger than Springtime"
and "Happy Talk"
- Reading:
- "Our Heroine" from Michener's
Tales of the South Pacific (available online)
- Recommended: also read "Fo' Dolla"
- To turn in:
- What are some differences between
the characters in Michener's original story and their counterparts
in the musical?
- For discussion:
- Why do you think Rodgers and Hammerstein
made these changes?
- Student presentation:
- James Michener
|
- Wednesday,
- February 19
|
Midterm
--
information |
- Friday,
- February 21
|
- Guys
and Dolls
- Reading:
- Guys and Dolls libretto pages 97-116 (available online)
- Listening:
- "Fugue for Tin Horns," "Follow
the Fold," and "The Oldest Established"
- For discussion:
- Who is more appealing, the missionaries
or the gamblers? Why? Provide both musical and non-musical reasons.
|
- Monday,
- February 24
|
- Reading:
- Guys and Dolls libretto pages 117-139 (available online)
- Listening:
- "I'll Know," "A Bushel
and a Peck," and "Adelaide's Lament"
- To turn in:
- 1. Identify all cadences in "I'll
Know" (both the location and the cadence type). If something
strikes you as peculiar, explain your answer -- mentioning what
is unusual and justifying your analysis (as opposed to other
plausible interpretations).
- 2. "Adelaide's Lament" is
an especially funny song for a variety of reasons. One source
of humor is the juxtaposition of high-status and low-status music.
Where is the high-status music, and what style is Loesser evoking?
Where is the low-status music, and what style is Loesser evoking?
Also identify some other sources of humor in this song and explain
them.
|
- Wednesday,
- February 26
|
- Reading:
- Guys and Dolls libretto pages 140-159 (available online)
- Listening:
- "Guys and Dolls," "If
I Were a Bell," and "Take Back Your Mink"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
- For discussion:
- How has Sarah's music evolved over
the course of the show thus far?
|
- Friday,
- February 28
|
- Reading:
- Guys and Dolls libretto pages 160-175 (available online)
- Listening:
- "My Time of Day" and "I've
Never Been in Love Before"
- To turn in:
- 1. Many people claim that Sky experiences
some kind of transformation during "My Time of Day."
In your opinion, when exactly is that transformative moment?
Explain some reasons why this moment stands out.
- 2. "I've Never Been in Love Before"
is clearly Sky and Sarah's real love duet. Identify some ways
in which this song is musically similar to their previous duet,
"I'll Know." On the other hand, identify some ways
in which it is musically different from "I'll Know."
- Student presentation:
- Abe Burrows
- Damon Runyon
|
- Monday,
- March 2
|
- Reading:
- Guys and Dolls libretto pages 176-193 (available online)
- Listening:
- "Luck, Be a Lady Tonight"
and "Sue Me"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
(or feel free to write up answers in some other format)
|
- Wednesday,
- March 4
|
- Reading:
- Guys and Dolls libretto pages 194-211 (available online)
- Listening:
- "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the
Boat" and "Marry the Man Today"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
- Optional worksheet
(this substitutes for page 1 of the worksheet due February 26;
please attach the previous assignment)
- For discussion:
- Does the final excerpt on the worksheet
remind you of anything? (You might have some associations through
film music.)
|
- Friday,
- March 6
|
- My
Fair Lady
- Listening:
- "Why Can't the English?"
"Wouldn't it be Loverly?" and "With a Little Bit
of Luck"
- Student presentation:
- Pygmalion myth
|
- Monday,
- March 9
|
- Reading:
- Entire My Fair Lady libretto
(available online)
- Listening:
- "Ascott Gavotte" and "On
the Street Where You Live"
- To turn in:
- Identify at least three oppositions
that are important to this show. Also explain at least five examples
of hypocrisy, irony, and/or social satire involving these oppositions.
- Example: proper vs. improper speech.
Henry Higgins devotes considerable time to teaching Eliza correct
pronunciation, which for him is what constitutes proper speech.
However, he constantly makes extremely rude remarks like telling
Mrs. Hudson to clean Eliza with sandpaper if she won't come clean
any other way and referring to Eliza as "this thing."
|
- Wednesday,
- March 11
|
- Listening:
- "Just You Wait" and "Without
You"
- Student-led discussion:
- "Just You Wait"
- "Without You"
- To turn in:
- Your discussion-leading notes. You
may work together or separately. Just make it clear whether you
collaborated on the entire plan, whether a different person was
responsible for particular topics, etc.
|
- Friday,
- March 13
|
- Music Theory
Southeast meets at Appalachian State University - no class
|
- March 16 -
- March 20
|
Spring
Break |
- Monday,
- March 23
|
- Listening:
- "I'm an Ordinary Man" and
"Hymn to Him"
- Student-led discussion:
- "I'm an Ordinary Man"
- "Hymn to Him"
- To turn in:
- Your discussion-leading notes. You
may work together or separately. Just make it clear whether you
collaborated on the entire plan, whether a different person was
responsible for particular topics, etc.
|
- Wednesday,
- March 25
|
- Listening:
- "The Rain in Spain," "I
Could Have Danced All Night," and "Show Me"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
|
- Friday,
- March 27
|
- Listening:
- "You Did It," "Get
Me to the Church on Time," and "I've Grown Accustomed
to Her Face"
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
|
- Monday,
- March 30
|
- Most
Happy Fella
- Reading and listening:
- Act I, scenes 1 and 2 (combined score/libretto
available online)
- Student presentation:
- Frank Loesser
- Questions for discussion:
- This show is often performed as part
of an opera series. Although few people would describe it as
an opera, it is certainly more operatic than most musicals. In
an opera, how do we distinguish recitative from aria (both in
musical style and dramatic purpose)?
Guys and Dolls is not a remotely operatic show, yet it
contains passages that clearly evoke recitative. Do you see a
similar distinction in Most Happy Fella? If so, which
passages do you believe are recitative and which do you believe
are song? If not, do you feel that the music seems to fall into
some other types of categories, and what music falls into each
category?
Do you think the music for Tony's letter predisposes us to like
him or to dislike him? What musical features create this effect?
|
- Wednesday,
- April 1
|
- Reading and listening:
- Act I, second half of scene 2, scene
3, and beginning of scene 4 ("Standing on the Corner"
through "I seen her at the station" -- combined score/libretto
available online)
- To turn in:
- Based solely on "I seen her at
the station" (PDF page 102), what kind of impession do you
imagine that the postman has made on Rosabella, and what was
the ride from the train station like? Point out as many musical
features as possible that support your answer. Also, what is
the form of this song?
|
- Friday,
- April 3
|
- Reading and listening:
- Act I, second half of scene 4, and
Act II, first half of scene 1 (through "Love and Kindness"
-- combined score/libretto available online)
- To turn in:
- The introduction to "Don't Cry"
refers to two previously heard melodies. What are they?
What musical material is heard at the beginning of the Prelude
to Act II? Where have we heard this before? Point out at least
two distinct locations. (Extra credit: where do we first hear
it?) What might this motive signify?
What is "Cold and dead" about? How does the music contribute
to the dramatic effect? Please be specific and thorough.
- Questions for discussion:
- What musical style is evoked by "Benvenuta"?
Cite some relevant features.
What are the "Fresno Beauties" literally? What nationality
might the music for "Fresno Beauties" represent? Again,
cite some relevant features.
|
- Monday,
- April 6
|
- Reading and listening:
- Act II, second half of scene 1 through
scene 4 (combined score/libretto available online)
- To turn in:
- In reasonable detail, diagram the
form of "Happy to Make Your Acquaintance." Please include
measure numbers, cadence types, prominent subphrases, etc. Why
do we hear this song three times in rather rapid succession?
What music introduces Cleo on PDF page 147?
What is the role of the soprano saxophone in "I don't like
this dame"? What is the dramatic effect?
- Questions for discussion:
- What's the dramatic purpose of "Big
D"?
"How Beautiful the Days" is quite unusual for a musical.
Why are all these characters singing at once, and how does Loesser
help them remain intelligible?
- Detailed instructions
- Information
on phrase structure ciagrams
|
- Wednesday,
- April 8
|
- Reading and listening:
- Act II, scene 5; Act III, beginning
of scene 1 through "Song of a Summer Night" (combined
score/libretto available online)
- To turn in:
- Complete this worksheet
|
- Friday,
- April 10
|
- Reading and listening:
- Remainder of Act III (combined score/libretto
available online)
- To turn in:
- 1. "Please Let Me Tell You"
- What are the underlying harmonies in measures 1-4 (one chord
per measure)? Extra credit: what distinctive motive from a previous
song is prominently included in the orchestral outbursts of this
song? (Specify lyrics from the previous song.) Also, why do you
think the orchestra and the vocal line have such contrasting
characters in this song?
- 2. In Act III, scene 2, there are
a number of train references. Using measure numbers, point out
one musical depiction of a train that you think is very obvious
and another that you think is less obvious. In each case briefly
mention a few features that sound train-like. [Approximately
30 words.]
- 3. On PDF pages 250-251 (measures
49-95), it's fairly clear that the music represents Tony's thoughts.
Point out as much familiar music as possible: where does it appear
in this scene, and where did it appear previously? (Each instance
should include two sets of measure numbers.) [There are nine
unambiguous quotes, in addition to two general references that
are quite debatable.]
4. Given the series of quotes you just enumerated (and it might
be helpful to consider the lyrics that were originally associated),
what do you believe Tony has been thinking over the course of
these two pages? [Approximately 130 words.]
5. Beyond the passage conveying Tony's private thoughts, a great
deal of familiar music appears in Act III, scene two. Which single
instance do you find most significant? Indicate what music returns,
where it returns, and why this is especially important. (If there
are any changes to the music, to the lyrics, or to the meaning
of the song, be sure to point this out.) [Approximately 150 words]
|
- Monday,
- April 13
|
- West
Side Story
- Listening:
- Prologue, "Jet Song," and
"Maria"
- Question for discussion:
- How does the plot of West Side
Story compare with the plot of Romeo and Juliet? What
is comparable and what is different?
|
- Wednesday,
- April 15
|
- Reading:
- West Side Story libretto pages 1-23 (available online)
- Listening:
- "Something's Coming," "The
Dance at the Gym," and the Balcony Scene ("Tonight"
duet)
- Student presentations:
- Jerome Robins
- Question for discussion:
- Bernstein includes titles for specific
dances at the gym. Are these titles chosen somewhat arbitrarily,
or do they have social associations that suited his purposes,
and/or did he try to convey musical elements that would be expected
in these dances?
|
- Friday,
- April 17
|
- Reading:
- West Side Story libretto pages 23-51 (available online)
- Listening:
- "America" and "I Feel
Pretty"
- Student-led discussion:
- "America"
- To turn in:
- Your discussion-leading notes. You
may work together or separately. Just make it clear whether you
collaborated on the entire plan, whether a different person was
responsible for particular topics, etc.
|
- Monday,
- April 20
|
- Reading:
- West Side Story libretto pages 52-61 (available online)
- Listening:
- "Cool" and "Gee, Officer
Krupke"
- Student-led discussion:
- "Cool"
- To turn in:
- Your discussion-leading notes. You
may work together or separately. Just make it clear whether you
collaborated on the entire plan, whether a different person was
responsible for particular topics, etc.
|
- Wednesday,
- April 22
|
- Reading:
- West Side Story libretto pages 61-70 (available online)
- Listening:
- "One Hand, One Heart" and
"A Boy Like That" / "I Have a Love"
- Student-led discussion:
- "One Hand, One Heart"
- To turn in:
- Your discussion-leading notes. You
may work together or separately. Just make it clear whether you
collaborated on the entire plan, whether a different person was
responsible for particular topics, etc.
|
- Friday,
- April 24
|
- Listening:
- "Tonight" (ensemble) and
"Somewhere"
- Student-led discussion:
- "Tonight" (ensemble)
- To turn in:
- Your discussion-leading notes. You
may work together or separately. Just make it clear whether you
collaborated on the entire plan, whether a different person was
responsible for particular topics, etc.
|
- Tuesday,
- April 28
|
Final
(5:30-7:30 via Zoom) -- information |