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Jaclyn Kurtz Thesis.pdf (7 MB)

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Abstract Header

An Aural Skills Handbook for Modal Music

Kurtz, Jaclyn
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1406587993

Abstract Details

2014, MA, Kent State University, College of the Arts / School of Music, Hugh A. Glauser.
Many existing aural skills textbooks and anthologies emphasize tonal music, while others focus on post-tonal materials. When modal examples are included in these books, they are generally taken from either folk music or twentieth-century compositions. No book focusing on the acquisition of aural skills pertaining to Medieval and Renaissance music currently exists, leaving instructors with the time-consuming task of compiling, sequencing, and adapting their own resources. This thesis is designed to provide a sequential aural skills handbook of Medieval and Renaissance music. For ease of use, the thesis is divided into two main parts: Medieval Music and Renaissance Music. The excerpts follow a generally chronological format, moving from chant to organum, for example. As the music becomes more complicated, the exercises naturally become more challenging. Emphasis is placed on music used in the Roman Catholic liturgy, with much of the chant coming from the Liber Usualis. The compositions of Josquin, Dufay, Palestrina, and Lassus feature heavily in the Renaissance section. While the format is largely chronological, the pedagogical use of each exercise takes precedence over its composition date. An earlier work may follow a later work if the latter example more clearly reflects a particular point being emphasized. Organization by mode is the second main formatting structure. I believe that studying pieces from the same time period and in the same mode will allow students to become intimately familiar with the characteristics and idioms associated with each mode. There is precedent for such an arrangement; Medieval tonaries grouped pieces in a similar fashion. While most aural skills textbooks do not group pieces by scale, some do, and this arrangement can result in an effective instructional sequence. Sight Singing by Samuel Adler and Modus Novus by Lars Edlund are two such texts based on more recent literature. It is my opinion that this idea is even more applicable to modal music, as many students are unfamiliar with the sounds of the modes. The use of movable do solfege (in which the final of each mode is labeled do) facilitates the understanding and internalization of each mode. Within the thesis, exercises are arranged by pitch pattern within each modal grouping. For example, excerpts that contain the pattern sol la te do in Dorian are grouped together. This pattern gives Dorian its unique character. Seeing and hearing this configuration of pitches in multiple works reinforces the mode’s distinctive sound. Both the organization and the content of the thesis are heavily influenced by the work of Zoltan Kodaly and Edwin Gordon.
Richard Devore (Advisor)
Thomas Janson (Committee Member)
Jay White (Committee Member)
86 p.
Music
aural skills; modal music; medieval music; renaissance music

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kurtz, J. (2014). An Aural Skills Handbook for Modal Music [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1406587993

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kurtz, Jaclyn. An Aural Skills Handbook for Modal Music. 2014. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1406587993.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kurtz, Jaclyn. "An Aural Skills Handbook for Modal Music." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1406587993

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1406587993
14,694
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.