Advanced Theory: 20th-Century Theoretical Approaches II: Post-Tonal and Rock Music

This course is a direct follow-up to 20th-Century Theoretical Approaches I: Post-Tonal and Rock Music. In addition to a more thorough grounding in set theory and basic serialism, the first semester will also introduce advanced serial techniques, neo-Riemannian analysis, and basic transformation theory. The syllabus will include some of the same composers studied before, but there will be a particular emphasis on Elliott Carter, Milton Babbitt, and Ruth Crawford Seeger. Discussion will also cover more recent musical trends such as spectralism, eclecticism, and The New Complexity. The second semester will involve a more detailed look at rock, electronic, and hip-hop music and will cover artists such as Saul Williams, Animal Collective, and King Crimson.