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MUS 613: Sonata Forms, 1770 1925, Spring 2017

San Diego State University, School of Music and Dance
Basic Information:
Instructor: Dr. Andrew Aziz
Email: aaziz@sdsu.edu
MWF, M237
Meeting time: W 7:00-9:40

Phone: (908) 227-9899

Office hours: 11-12,

Course description:
MUS 613 is an intensive graduate theory seminar that is dedicated to the most
important formal structure of the Classical and Romantic era: the sonata. Fluency
in undergraduate counterpoint and voice-leading is necessary pre-requisite to the
course. Steven Laitz and Christopher Bartlette, Graduate Review of Tonal Theory,
is a textbook used in the review course.
The nature of a seminar is one of unpredictably: as discussion and interest of a
singular topic may predominate a class, the amount of material covered is subject
to change, but the general outline of the course will remain intact. The course will
proceed in roughly three units:
A. Following a review of harmony, we will explore a nuanced unit on smaller
forms (sentences, periods, and hybrids), through the perspective of the
theorist William Caplin. Each of these are, for Caplin, a formal type, each of
which contains components called formal functions that form the building
blocks for larger structures.
B. Once we establish fluency at the level of phrase, and cadence, we will build
our sonata structure from the bottom up, establishing the four theme types
of the exposition. While most undergraduate introductions to sonata form
superimpose a general two- or four- part structure, Caplin and another pair
of theorists, James Hepokoski and Warren Darcy, provide competing theories
on sonata structure. While much of what they say about sonata form is
complementary, there are divergent interpretations that hinge on the main
difference between their perspectives: Caplins tends to be surface-driven
and H/Ds tends to be cadence-driven. Unit 2 will be devoted to the
Viennese Classical composers Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
C. With a strong foundation, we then turn the page toward the Romantic era,
hitting upon chamber and symphonic forms from the mid-nineteenth century
until the latter decades, including Chopin, Brahms, Mahler, Tchaikovsky.
Turning toward the twentieth century, we investigate two French composers
on which I have dedicated most of my researchDebussy and Raveland
two divergent but profound Russian composers, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev.
Prerequisite:
A passing grade in Music 598, or successful completion of graduate theory
placement exam.
Recommended:

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I will draw material from several books, including Hepokoski and Darcy, Elements
of Sonata Theory (Oxford University Press, 2006) and Caplin, Analyzing Classical
Form (Oxford University Press, 2013); as well as from several articles and
collections. There is no required text for this course.
Grading:
HW: 30%
Attendance and Participation: 20%
Midterm Exam: 20%
Presentation: 5% (This will be in-progress work on your final paper)
Final Paper: 25%
94-100 = A
90-93 = A87-89 = B+
84-86 = B
80-83 = B77-79 = C+
74-76 = C
70-73 = C67-69 = D+
64-66 = D
60-63 = D-

0-59 = F

Attendance / Assignments:
As this is a weekly seminar, missing one class it the equivalent of missing three
classes in a tri-weekly course. You can miss up to two classes without any grade
penalty; each subsequent absent will result in a reduction of 20% of the attendance
and participation portion of your grade (4% of your total grade). There will be
weekly analytical assignments; no late assignments will be accepted.
Final Paper
The final paper will be a 3,000-word essay, centered on a piece of your choice,
without constraints in terms of genre (solo, chamber, concerto, or symphonic
works all accepted); additionally, one must discuss an additional 2-3 pieces that
you will use to compare and contrast to the main piece. This does not mean that
you will discuss the other pieces in nearly as much depth, but rather use them to
highlight the most interesting aspects of your main piece. The best theory papers
do not analyze using a play-by-play, but direct discussion to the most interesting
aspects of a work by developing a thesis and connecting all of your observations
back to it: this is where the additional examples come into play.
Cheating and Plagiarism:
Cheating and plagiarism are unacceptable and will result in academic sanctions,
such as grade modifications; and punitive sanctions, such as probation, suspension,
or expulsion according to university policy. Please familiarize yourself with SDSUs
Student Conduct Policies at the university website:
http://csrr.sdsu.edu/conduct1.html
Students with Disabilities:
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for
this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619)
594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should
contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon
disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an

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accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
DACA Statement:
The CSU has affirmed its commitment to protecting access, affordability,
intellectual freedom, inclusivity, and diversity for all students . . . including
supporting DACA students. Discrimination, harassment, or retaliation against
students, faculty, and staff on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexuality,
disability, nationality, immigration status, and other categories of identity is
prohibited. If you have concerns about your status at the university, please visit
http//studentaffairs.sdsu.edu/EOP/ for information or contact the Dean of Students
or the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs in your College.
Use of Technology:
All electronic devices unrelated to learning outcomes must be off or silent within
class. Laptops and tablets may be permitted in class at appropriate times, but only
for the purposes of accessing materials related to the course.

Schedule (subject to change at the discretion of the instructor)

UNIT 1: Formal Functions
Week 1: January 18th
Review of harmony and harmonic paradigms; phrase model; embedded phrase
model, sentences (Laitz; Clendinning/Marvin; Caplin)
Week 2: January 25th
Sentences, cont.; Periods; Compound Sentences (Caplin, 2, 3, and 6)
Week 3: February 1st
Hybrids; Expansions and Contractions; Compound Periods (Caplin 4, 5 and 6)
UNIT 2: The Classical Sonata
Week 4: February 8th
Exposition (I): Primary Theme, Transition, Secondary Theme, Closing (Caplin, 9
11; Hepokoski and Darcy 3, 5, 6)
Week 5: February 15th
Exposition (II): Subordinate Theme, Continuous Exposition, and the Double Medial
Caesura (Caplin 12; Hepokoski and Darcy 4 and 8)
Week 6: February 22th
Development Section: Caplin 13, Hepokoski and Darcy 11
Week 7: March 1th
Midterm Exam, Recapitulation: Caplin 14, Hepokoski and Darcy 17
Week 8: March 8th

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Concerto Forms: Caplin 20, Hepokoski and Darcy 2022
UNIT 3: Romantic into the Twentieth Century
Week 9: March 15th
Scarlatti, Mozart, Chopin and the Type 2
Week 10: SPRING BREAK, NO CLASS
Week 11: March 29rd
Brahms and Mahler
Week 12: April 4th
Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff
Week 13: April 11th
Debussy and Ravel
Week 14: April 18th
Hindemith and Prokofiev
Weeks 14 and 15: April 25th and May 2nd
Presentations