OVERVIEW

This course provides an overview of the history of Western art music from the final decades of the 19th century to the Second World War—a period of profound transformation in Europe, both in terms of geopolitical structures and in the development of intellectual thought and aesthetic trends across various artistic and cultural disciplines. Through their works, composers responded to and interacted with the historical and political processes as well as the artistic and cultural movements of the time, making music a valuable lens through which to interpret broader and interdisciplinary phenomena.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Between the radical paradigm shift that begins with the two-year period 1889/90 and the Second World War, the teaching aims to introduce the student to the fundamental issues of the history of art music, particularly European art music. The goal of the class is to give students a solid understanding of the options available to composers in the so-called historical twentieth century, in a context of musical production and use that has changed dramatically since the romantic era.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with the conceptual tools needed to recognize and interpret the symbols and values inherent in musical language, enhancing their awareness of the dense network of interdisciplinary relationships between music, literature, the arts, and the sciences. Students will be equipped to understand the strategies employed by composers to convey ideological, poetic, religious, political, personal, and other types of messages through the notated score, so that these messages may be transmitted—through the performers—to the listeners.

By the end of the course, students will be able to navigate the landscape of Western art music from the final decades of the 19th century to the Second World War. They will be able to distinguish the most representative genres and trends, and will have developed the tools to define the main linguistic, stylistic, and aesthetic issues, which they will be able to relate to contemporary developments in the artistic and cultural spheres, as well as to major historical and social transformations.

Students will be able to identify the key issues in the historical development of Western art music between the late 19th century and the Second World War, contextualizing them within the broader historical-political changes and the artistic-cultural trends that shaped the international landscape. They will have acquired the theoretical tools necessary to engage with major aesthetic and compositional questions, to distinguish the principal musical genres, and to describe the contributions of the most significant composers. Thanks to an interdisciplinary approach, students will become aware of the close interaction between music and literature, the visual arts, and philosophical, political, and social thought, recognizing music as a fundamental component of Western culture.

PREREQUISITES

No prior knowledge required

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal lectures.

Although not compulsory, attendance is strongly recommended due to the didactics based on constant audio and video exemplification.

Students with disabilities or DSAs are reminded that in order to request adaptations in the exam, they must first enter their certification on the University website at servizionline.unige.it in the "Students" section. The documentation will be verified by the University's Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and DSA Sector (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111). Subsequently, at least 10 days before the date of the exam, an e-mail
must be sent to the teacher with whom you will take the exam, including in the knowledge copy both the School's Teacher Referent for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and with DSA (Prof. Elisabetta Colagrossi: elisabetta.colagrossi@unige.it) and the Sector indicated above. The e-mail should specify: the name of the teaching; the date of the call; the student's last name, first name and roll number; the compensatory tools and dispensatory measures deemed functional; and required.  The contact person will confirm to the lecturer that the applicant is entitled to apply for adaptations in the examination and that these adaptations must be agreed upon with the lecturer. The lecturer will respond by informing whether the requested adaptations can be used.

Requests should be sent at least 10 days before the date of the call in order to allow the lecturer(s) to evaluate the content. In particular, in case you intend to make use of maps conceptual maps for the exam (which must be much more concise than the maps used for studying) if the submission does not meet the deadline there will not be the technical time needed to make any changes.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course will explore the main developments in Western art music from the final decades of the 19th century to the Second World War, highlighting both the elements of continuity with earlier European traditions and the key innovations that laid the groundwork for subsequent musical evolution. It will introduce the new artistic and intellectual challenges composers faced amid the profound geopolitical and cultural transformations of the Western world during the fin de siècle, the First World War, the interwar period, and the rise of totalitarian regimes.

The course will begin with the late-Romantic symphonic tradition of Bruckner, Mahler, and Richard Strauss, with particular attention to technical developments in comparison to earlier models, as well as to the broader cultural context of the time. It will then address the major experiments in the emancipation from tonal systems, with a particular focus on the twelve-tone technique developed by the Second Viennese School (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern). Alongside this, the course will examine "alternative paths" taken by composers of the period, especially Hungarian and Czech figures such as Bartók and Janáček. The pivotal role of Stravinsky will also be explored, both within his contemporary context and as a future reference point for the experimental avant-garde movements of the later 20th century.

The interwar period will be studied with a special focus on the Italian context, examining the impact of fascism on composers' aesthetic and ideological choices, musical programming, and publishing and research initiatives within the emerging field of Italian musicology. Particular attention will be paid to the effects of the Gentile Reform and the marginal presence of music in the Italian educational and cultural system. The situation in France and Germany will also be discussed, with special emphasis on the figure of Messiaen as a further point of reference for 20th-century music history. The course will also consider musical developments in the United States—with reference to the emergence of jazz—as well as in Russia and the Soviet Union. Finally, it will provide an overview of key technological advances in sound reproduction and electroacoustic instruments, including developments in radio broadcasting and the early stages of film music.

All topics will be explored through the works and contributions of the most representative composers of each trend, with extensive use of audiovisual materials during lectures.

For non-attending students, the syllabus remains the same; however, students are required to contact the instructor in order to agree on the bibliography.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Raffale Mellace, Il racconto della musica europea. Da Bach a Debussy. Roma, Carocci, 2019, only pp. 319-519

2. Guido Salvetti, La nacita del Novecento. Torino, EDT, 1991.

3. Gianfranco Vinay, Il Novecento nell'Europa orientale e negli Stati Uniti. Torino, EDT, 1991.

Non-attending students are required to contact the professor by e-mail in order to agree on the exam programme.

N. B. Books are available at the university library and/or in the bookshop. Audio-visual examples, readings, and in-depth digital resources will be offered on the Aulaweb: although they are not part of the examination programme, these materials will allow some of the issues addressed in class to be explored in depth.

The bibliography may be subject to change and it is therefore advisable to wait until the start of the lectures before purchasing or borrowing.

Erasmus students not proficient in Italian may request a substitutive bibliography, and take the examination in English.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

February 2026

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam.

The examination may be taken in English or Italian, at the student's free choice. The choice of language does not affect the exam score.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral examination will assess the student’s ability to navigate the landscape of Western art music from the final decades of the 19th century to the Second World War. The exam will evaluate whether the student can distinguish the most representative genres and trends, define key linguistic, stylistic, and aesthetic issues, and relate them to concurrent developments in the artistic and cultural fields as well as to major historical and social transformations.

The examination will verify the student’s ability to identify the fundamental issues in the historical trajectory of Western art music from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, and to contextualize them within the broader historical-political changes and the artistic and cultural trends that shaped the international scene during this period. It will assess whether the student has acquired the theoretical tools necessary to engage with major aesthetic and compositional questions, to distinguish principal musical genres, and to describe the contributions of the most significant composers. Furthermore, the exam will evaluate the student’s awareness of the close interrelation between music and literature, the visual arts, and philosophical, political, and social thought.

Evaluation will be based on the student’s knowledge of the course content (topics covered in class, required readings, and materials available on the course platform), as well as oral expression skills, critical thinking abilities, and familiarity with musicological vocabulary.

FURTHER INFORMATION

It is strongly recommended to register on the course's Aulaweb, where in-depth materials and course-related news will be provided.

Ask the professor for further information not included in the course syllabus.