MUSIC HISTORY 253

EXAMS AND GRADING

(S-08)

I will grade by the numbers. There are 2 exams at 50 points apiece, 2 repertory quizzes at 20 points apiece, 10 preparations at 6 points apiece, making 200 for the semester.

Preparations are due on Thursdays. They are graded on the following scale:

6 points on time and well done

5 on time but mediocre

3 late and well done (late is any time after class ends)

2 late and mediocre

0 missing

Repertory quizzes. A repertory quiz will consist of 4 to 6 short excerpts from works listed in the syllabus, some from NAWM, some from the supplementary listening. Half of the excerpts will be by ear: I will play them on the stereo and you will answer the questions. For the other; half I will play the excerpt and you will also have a score.

For each excerpt you should know the composer and the title of the piece. If the piece comes from a larger work (e.g. an opera), you should know the title of that too. Know when the piece was composed within about 15 years in either direction. Know the genre (opera, ballet, violin sonata, etc.) If it’s a dramatic work, know (in a general way) what’s going on in this excerpt and which characters are involved. If there’s a text, know what it says (in a general way, not a translation).

If you have the score, you should know what the markings mean – e.g. that a fermata means the singer can take a cadenza, that “con sordine” means play with mutes. Also if you have a score you should be able to say where in the piece the excerpt comes from – e.g. the beginning, the vocal entrance, the B-section (in a DC aria), the beginning of the development (in a sonata-allegro movement).

If you play or sing a piece, you know all these things perfectly well. My goal is for you to have a similar grasp pieces in a broader repertory.

Exams. There will be two exams, and they will not be cumulative, i.e. the second exam will over only the second half of the course. The exams will have four parts:

Repertory – As described above under “repertory quizzes”

Discussion of scores – I will give you scores of passages from 2 or 3 assigned pieces and ask you to explain some of the things about them that we discussed in class – e.g. diagram their form, show how they exemplify the composer’s style, explicate the text

ID – I’ll give you names, terms and buzzwords that we covered in class and ask you to define them, explain them, or say why they’re important . These will be short answers (1-2 sentences). Names, terms and buzzwords will be highlighted in the lecture notes on the website.

Essay – I’ll give you a choice of topics and ask you to write an essay of a page or two.These will be issues or themes that I emphasized in lecture

Make-ups. If you miss a quiz or an exam, there will be scheduled make-ups. However if you want to take the make-up, you must have a short term leave of absence for that day. Get a short-term leave slip from the Registrar or download it from http://www.sfcm.edu/pdf/Short_Term_Leave_of_Absence_student-07nov01.pdf. Fill it out and turn it in to the Dean's office (Yunny Yip) with supporting documentation. You can get a leave in advance if you have an audition or a job; you can get it retroactively if you were sick. If you bring me a leave slip, you can take the make-up. Otherwise, no make-up.

Final grades will be assigned on the standard scale: 90%-100% = A; 80-89%=B; 70-79%=C; 60-69%=D. To pass the course you will need 60%, which means 120 points or better. As you see, there are plenty of opportunities to do well by coming to class, turning preparations in on time, and studying for exams and quizzes.