Year 9 Subject Guide 2020

Subject Outline by Semester – continued: YEAR 10 - SEMESTER THREE TOPICS continued: Unit Two: Syrinx or Pharynx?

In this unit, varied examples of vocal music from the six main musical periods – medieval period (450-1450), the renaissance period (1450 – 1600), the baroque period (1600 – 1750), the classical period (1750 – 1825), the romantic period (1825 – 1900) and the twentieth century are explored. Our exploration focuses on the use of different types and combinations of voices, important vocal forms, and the use of musical elements characteristic of the particular periods. YEAR 10 - SEMESTER FOUR TOPICS: Unit Three: Noise Pollution or Good Music (2)? Since 1980 popular music, or rock music as it is usually called, can be viewed as moving in two parallel ‘strands’ – rock and pop. Some artists or groups have elements of both strands, while others, influenced by non-rock styles, do not fit into either and are often referred to as ‘crossover’ artists. In this unit a wide range of musical examples that mirror the course of popular music during the past 25 years are investigated. (It is impossible, of course, to cover all rock music styles since 1980. However, the examples chosen are representative of some of the major styles.) The unit commences with the most influential rock artist of the early 1980s, whose music contains elements of both rock and pop; then it examines the two strands in turn and concludes with some examples of crossover styles. Unit Four: Acoustic Guitar to Zither The aim of this unit, and Unit 2, is to give a broad outline of the way in which music has developed through the various periods – over the past thousand years. Within each period a certain sound or style is evident through the use of particular instruments and voices and through the treatment of musical elements such as rhythm, harmony, melody and texture. The first two musical periods can be seen as preparatory stages in music’s development, because it was during these periods that a system of musical notation was worked out, forerunners of our modern instruments were invented, and musical concepts such as metre, key and chord progression began to be developed. As a brief introduction to this unit we shall listen to short examples from the medieval and renaissance periods. For the remaining periods we shall examine representative works of different media – including keyboard, chamber music (works for a small group of instruments with only one player per part), orchestral music and the concerto (written for a solo instrument combined with an orchestra).

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