Topics in Tonal Literature and Analysis

Beethoven's Symphonies class taught by Michael Ruhling at New Sibley Library, Miller Center. //  Summer classes at University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music  July 13, 2016.  // photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester

TH 401
Topics in Tonal Literature and Analysis
June 24-August 2, 2024 / Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m., plus individual meetings with students
Room: OSL 204

Matthew Brown

This course considers the issues of ornamentation and improvisation in tonal music of the 17th through the mid nineteenth-centuries. After a brief review of figured bass, it will cover a broad range of topics, from composing/improvising doubles and variations to ground bass patterns (e.g., the folia and the lament bass), improvising cadenzas, ornamenting slow movements and reprise sections and even composing/improvising imitative works (e.g., inventions and short fugues). The assignments can be completed on any instrument or combination of instruments.

Tuition:
$5,910 / 3 credits   

“Dr. Brown is a passionate, dedicated, and brilliant professor. I wasn’t sure what to expect in a graduate tonal theory class—I was curious what new methods and tools I could learn. I was so happy with Dr. Brown’s choices and the empathy he demonstrates as a teacher.” — 2023 student