MU4502: Contemporary European Opera

MU4502: CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN OPERA (2020-2021)

Last modified: 24 Jun 2020 14:31

Course Overview

In the mid-twentieth century, it seemed that opera was a dying art form, surviving at best on the back of a canon of great historical works. While its future prospects looked bleak, the composition of over 150 new operas in the period between 1978 and 2003 marked a perhaps unexpected renaissance of the genre. Students on this course will study the factors which led to the resurgence of operatic/music theatre composition in Europe. A range of key operatic/music theatre works by composers from France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom will be considered from a number of points of view.

Course Details

Study Type	Undergraduate	Level	4
Term	Second Term	Credit Points	30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus	Aberdeen	Sustained Study	No
Co-ordinators	Dr Edward Campbell

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

Either Programme Level 4 or Programme Level 5
Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
One of Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Music with Honours (Music and Communities) or Bachelor of Music with Honours (Education)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

MU3518 Contemporary European Opera (Studied)

Are there a limited number of places available?

Course Description

In the mid-twentieth century, it seemed that opera was a moribund art form, surviving at best on the back of a canon of great historical works. While its future prospects looked bleak, the composition of over 150 new operas in the period between 1978 and 2003 marked a perhaps unexpected renaissance of the genre in a number of new forms.

This course will engage students in studying the factors which led to the resurgence of operatic/music theatre composition in Europe. A number of works by composers from France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom will be studied by a number of points of view (analysis of music scores, libretti, vocal style, stage design, recordings etc).

Students will be expected to view and listen to a number of operas/music theatre pieces, to analyse aspects of scores and libretti and to think critically about the cultural significance of this late flowering of these important genres. Students will give a number of short presentations throughout the course.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers

Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 21st September 2026 for Term 1 and Full Year courses and 8th January 2027 for Term 2 courses.

Summative Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type	Summative	Weighting	100
Assessment Weeks		Feedback Weeks		Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	Written feedback on essay in the form of annotations to the script and a report form.	Word Count

Learning Outcomes

Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on or with the Course Coordinator
Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type	Summative	Weighting
Assessment Weeks		Feedback Weeks	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback		Word Count

Learning Outcomes

Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on or with the Course Coordinator
Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome

51cg