Music Semiotics
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims at providing fundamental concepts in music theory and harmony (with specific reference to the tonal language), by analyzing musical communication in its main building compoents (rhythmic, melodic, harmonic), and it its implications in terms of perception, affect-emotion, and cognition.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the student will have the knowledge and the understanding of the rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic structures of the tonal language, of its functions, and of its perceptual, affective, and cognitive implications. Moreover, the student will acquire the ability to evaluate critically the expressive phenomenology of the tonal language, and will internalize the main concepts so to make them accessible with a clear and competent communication.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Part I
1. Notes on general semiotics
2. Notes on acoustics, theory and musical semiography
3. Introduction to musical semiotics
4. Representations of sound and music
Part II
5. Temperaments
6. Intervals
7. Interval patterns, keys, scales and modes
8. Musical time
9. Notes and groups
10. Chords and vertical groups
11. Musical instruments and musical objects
12. Musical and acoustic scores
13. Dynamics and agogic
Part III
14. Poietic dimension or the creative process
15. Estesic dimension or listening strategies
1. Notes on general semiotics
2. Notes on acoustics, theory and musical semiography
3. Introduction to musical semiotics
4. Representations of sound and music
Part II
5. Temperaments
6. Intervals
7. Interval patterns, keys, scales and modes
8. Musical time
9. Notes and groups
10. Chords and vertical groups
11. Musical instruments and musical objects
12. Musical and acoustic scores
13. Dynamics and agogic
Part III
14. Poietic dimension or the creative process
15. Estesic dimension or listening strategies
Prerequisites for admission
Prior knowledge is not requested. Being a first year couse, first semester, specific prerequisites are the ones required to be admitted to the Degree course, plus an active willingness to listen to music and creative practice.
Teaching methods
The didactic approach intends to encourage the student to approach an analytical listening characterized, from a methodological point of view, by the synchronicity of the sound/sign/meaning relationship. For this reason, teaching, in addition to the eminently theoretical assumption that shapes it, places the audio-perceptive and creative awareness aspect at the center of the training experience.
Together with the explanatory part conducted verbally, the lessons are characterized by musical examples to capture the sense of the sound event also on the relational, pedagogical and social level.
The assignment of individual work is also envisaged.
Together with the explanatory part conducted verbally, the lessons are characterized by musical examples to capture the sense of the sound event also on the relational, pedagogical and social level.
The assignment of individual work is also envisaged.
Teaching Resources
Pozzato Maria Pia, Capire la semiotica, Roma, Carocci 2013.
Sloboda John A., La Mente Musicale, Bologna, il Mulino 2002.
Ottó Károlyi , La grammatica della musica, Einaudi., Torino, 2000.
Ariel course website
Sloboda John A., La Mente Musicale, Bologna, il Mulino 2002.
Ottó Károlyi , La grammatica della musica, Einaudi., Torino, 2000.
Ariel course website
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam is divided into two parts:
1) Delivery by electronic formati within 10 days from the exam date of a audio project (soundfile with wav, aiff or mp3 format) agreed in advance with the teacher. The project should be representative of the semiotic/musical awareness acquired by the candidate. and can be accompanied by a short textual description in pdf format.
2) Interview aimed at ascertaining the skills acquired both on a purely linguistic-musical level and at the level of the specific analytical perspectives of teaching and the multiple interdisciplinary implications that derive from it.
Evaluation parameters: specific knowledge of the discipline; understanding and critical elaboration of the topics addressed; presentation skills with interdisciplinary connections and appropriate use of language. The evaluation is expressed with a mark out of 30.
1) Delivery by electronic formati within 10 days from the exam date of a audio project (soundfile with wav, aiff or mp3 format) agreed in advance with the teacher. The project should be representative of the semiotic/musical awareness acquired by the candidate. and can be accompanied by a short textual description in pdf format.
2) Interview aimed at ascertaining the skills acquired both on a purely linguistic-musical level and at the level of the specific analytical perspectives of teaching and the multiple interdisciplinary implications that derive from it.
Evaluation parameters: specific knowledge of the discipline; understanding and critical elaboration of the topics addressed; presentation skills with interdisciplinary connections and appropriate use of language. The evaluation is expressed with a mark out of 30.
M-FIL/05 - PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY OF LANGUAGE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 48 hours
Professor:
Vigani Andrea
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)