General Interim Information
Off Campus Interims
2006 Interim Extended Course Descriptions

TROMSØ UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
FACULTY OF ART/MUSIC CONSERVATORY

 Course proposal for the academic year 2007/2008

Winter Course in Norwegian Music (Interim Course, 1 credit)

This 4-week course will cover the history of Norwegian classical music from the romantic period ( nasjonalromantikk) to the present, dealing among others with 19 th century composers J. Halvorsen, O. Bull, J. Svendsen and E. Grieg, modern traditionalists like Geir Tveitt and David M. Johansen and important modernists like Arne Nordheim and Knut Nysted. Students will also gain insight into other important aspects of Norwegian music, as for example the folk music tradition including Sami music (joik) .

Through this course students will:

•  gain insight into the life and work of prominent Norwegian composers from the past and the present

•  broaden their understanding of Norwegian culture and the special importance of national and folk music traditions

•  have the opportunity to study and perform Norwegian music under the guidance of professors from Tromsø Conservatory

•  experience Northern Norwegian culture, life and nature

The course will be organized as follows:

  • Two hours of lectures and seminars on music history per day
  • six individual instrumental/vocal lessons during the course in which one relevant solo piece of work will be studied (for music majors)
  • Two concert visits during the Nordlys Festival, which will be prepared and discussed in class
  • An informal recital with those students who have studied a work of Norwegian music during the course
  • For those who are interested it is possible to take part in the chamber choir and study Norwegian choir music

Assessment

Students who want to receive credit will be required to submit/perform the following items:

  • a project combining analytical and practical studies of a musical work. The student gives a presentation in the form of a lecture recital combining an introduction, an analysis and a performance of the piece or parts of it. The analytical study will also be submitted in written form.
  • a short paper (5 pages) on a topic relevant to the course. The topic will be decided on in cooperation with one of the teachers.
  • two two-hour tests on the subject matter covered in the course, of which one will be given in mid-term, the other at the end of the course.
  • non-music majors will be required to write a 10 page project paper on a subject combining music history and cultural studies. The topic will be decided on in cooperation with one of the teaches who will also function as an adviser.

To determine the final grade the elements will be weighted as follows:

two written tests 5-page paper project

20% each 20% 40%

Grades will be given on a scale from A - F

Literature (preliminary list)

Nils Grinde, A history of Norwegian music. Lincoln , Nebr. 1991

Finn Benestad, Dag Schjelderup-Ebbe Johan Svendsen : the man, the maestro,

the music . Columbus , Ohio 1995

William H. Halverson, ed. Edvard Grieg today : a symposium. St. Olaf 1994

Finn Benestad, ed. Edvard Grieg 1843-1993 : twenty-nine articles from the

International Grieg Symposium in Bergen. Bergen 1993

Finn Benestad, Dag Schjelderup-Ebbe Edvard Grieg : the man and the artist . Lincoln , Nebr. 1988

Finn Benestad, Dag Schjelderup-Ebbe Edvard Gr ieg : chamber music : nationalism, universality,

individuality. Oslo 1993

Kjell Skyllstad, Kjell Habbestad, ed. 25 years of contemporary Norwegian music: themes,

trends and talents. Oslo 1992

Additional information:

Course schedule

 

9-11

 

class/lecture

 

11-1

library study (listening, reading, preparing next day's lecture)

 

1-3

individual work with the projects,

guidance from teachers

 

3-5

practice,

instrumental lessons (1.5 p/week)

 

afternoons,

evenings

concerts (Northern Lights Music Festival, 3 rd and 4 th week of Jan.)

films (Tromsø International Film Festival, 2 nd week), social events

Choir practice with the Chamber Choir (Wednesdays 7-10 pm optional)

Tromsø University College will provide dormitory housing (single rooms) for the students in the vicinity of the conservatory. Estimated costs for the course :

Air fare Minneapolis - Tromsø USD 750

Room, 28 nights (Includes breakfast) USD 1400

Meals (approx.) USD 700

Course fee, including 2 concert tickets USD 1000

The course will be taught in January and will be open to all English speaking students of music. Tromsø University College is especially interested in establishing an exchange with St. Olaf College and is therefore considering offering this course as an interim course for St. Olaf students.

We think that coming to Tromsø in the month of January to study Norwegian music is interesting for a variety of reasons. There are a number of international cultural events like the Nordlys Music Festival and the Tromsø International Film Festival, which draw visitors form all over the world to this city in the middle of winter. In addition students will experience the dark season and the return of the sun. Also there is a good chance they will see the spectacular Northern lights.

The Faculty of Music at Tromsoe University College offers Bachelor Programs in music and music education and, in co-operation with the National Academy of Music in Oslo , a Master's Degree in Music Education. In addition a variety of full-time and part-time courses are offered. These cover a wide range of musical activities, such as instrumental and vocal performance, chamber music, church music, conducting, drama arts, dance, music technology and various educational aspects of music. Some of these courses can be taken as parts of a teacher's education, while others are purely performance-oriented. A number of courses are also offered as independent study units ranging from 30 to 120 credits.

The Faculty of Music is located on the south end of the island of Tromsoe in vicinity to the municipal School of Music and Culture and within walking distance to the Teachers' College. At present the school has 180 students and a staff of 50 full- and part-time employees.

For more information see

http://www.hitos.no/English/ ( Tromsø University College )

http://www.nordlysfestivalen.no/index.php?lang=eng (Northern Lights Music Festival)

http://www.destinasjontromso.no/english/index.html (Tromsø Tourist Agency)