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Music 396
Mozart, Opera, & Amadeus
Fall 2002 Projects
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Project One
For the first Project you will prepare a presentation on a particular city
visited by Mozart during his frequent travels. On the first day of class,
you will choose one of these cities:
- Salzburg
- Vienna
- Munich/Mannheim
- Paris
- London
- Milan
- Bologna
- Rome
- Prague
Your presentation will provide an overview of music-making in your city from
about 1700 up to Mozart's death in 1791, but you will want to pay special
attention to musical activity during Mozart's lifetime. Your presentation
will answer the following questions about your city:
- Who supported music and musical performance in your city?
- What kinds of music were performed?
- Where did performances take place?
- What important composers lived and/or visited there?
- How did composers support themselves in your city?
- What were unique traditions and features of music performed in your
city?
- What happened when Mozart came to town?
- Who did Mozart meet?
- Who were his friends?
- What did he write?
- Who influenced his music?
Handouts, a bibliography, a one-page outline, and (optional) your PowerPoint
presentation are due at the beginning of the class period on Tuesday, September
10. You will give your presentation on either September 10 or September 12,
depending on how much time they take. Your presentations must be about 10
minutes long (longer if you use listening examples, but 15 minutes maximum).
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Projects Two & Three
For Project Two you will prepare a presentation on a particular composer,
opera, librettist, playwright, singer, or theater important to the study of
Mozart. For Projects Two and Three, your handouts, a bibliography, a one-page
outline, and (optional) your PowerPoint
presentation are due at the beginning of the class period on the day your
presentation is listed in the
Course Schedule on the course home page.
Your presentations must be about 10
minutes long (longer if you use listening examples, but 15 minutes maximum).
Below you will find the lists of Project Two and Project Three topics followed
by guidelines for each type of topic: composer & opera, librettist or
playwright, singer, or theater. Find the list that best describes your
topic and use those questions to guide your research and your presentation.
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Topic Lists for Projects Two
& Three
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Guidelines for Project Two
& Three Presentations
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Project Two Topics
This is the list of topics for Project Two. Choose one of the following:
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Project Three Topics
This is the list of topics for Project Three. Choose one of the following:
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Composer & Opera
If your topic is a composer and opera, answer these questions
in your presentation:
- Who was the composer (provide a brief biography)?
- Why was this composer important?
- What specific works and musical techniques was this composer known for?
- What influence did this composer (or this opera) have on Mozart?
- What type of opera is this, and how is this work significant in the
history of that genre?
- When, where, and under what circumstances was this opera written?
- What are the most significant features of this work?
- What story is told in this opera?
- Pick out 2 or 3 of the most significant numbers in this opera and analyze
their important features for presentation to the class.
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Librettist or Playwright
If your topic is a librettist or playwright, answer these questions
in your presentation:
- Who was this writer (provide a brief biography)?
- Why was this writer important?
- What specific works of this writer were best known?
- What were the significant stylistic features of this writer’s work?
- What kinds of stories did this writer favor?
- What influence did this writer have on Mozart?
- Name and describe any specific works that influenced Mozart.
- If this writer worked with Mozart, when, where, and under what
circumstances did they collaborate?
- Pick out 2 or 3 examples that demonstrate the most significant features
of this writer’s work for presentation to the class.
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Singer
If your topic is a singer, answer these questions
in your presentation:
- Who was this singer (provide a brief biography)?
- What cities and theaters did this singer work in?
- Why was this singer important?
- What were the significant features of this singer’s voice
and performances?
- What kinds of roles and voice types did this singer favor?
- What specific operatic roles was this singer best known for?
- When, where, and under what
circumstances did this singer collaborate with Mozart?
- How did Mozart tailor the arias he wrote for this singer to
suit her vocal strengths?
- Pick out 2 or 3 examples that demonstrate significant features
of this singer’s voice (and Mozart’s writing for this singer)
for presentation to the class.
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Theater
If your topic is a theater, answer these questions
in your presentation:
- What was the history of this theater?
- Why was this theater important?
- What repertory was favored by this theater?
- Who managed the theater, and who controlled or influenced decisions
about repertory?
- What famous composers, singers, and librettists were associated with
this theater? When? What impact did they have on the theater’s
productions and reputation?
- Did this theater undergo significant changes in any of the above areas?
- When and under what
circumstances were Mozart’s works performed at this theater?
- Who was infolved with those productions and what was their working
relationship?
- Pick out 2 or 3 examples that demonstrate typical works performed
at this theater
for presentation to the class.
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Project Four
For Project Four you will research one of the characters
from the movie Amadeus. For this project, your handouts, a bibliography, and an
outline of your research findings (can be the same as your handout) are due at
the beginning of the class period on
Thursday, November 21. Remember, you will not do a presentation for Project Four, but
you are expected to contribute information about your chosen character to our
class discussions of Amadeus.
Here is the list of Project Four topics followed
by guidelines for your research.
- Emperor Joseph II
- Prince-Archbishop Hieronymous Colloredo—Neil
- Constanze Mozart—Leslie
- Emanuel Schikaneder—Patrice
- Antonio Salieri—Chad
- Caterina Cavalieri—Erin
- Leopold Mozart—Cory
- Baron Gottfried van Swieten—Peter
- Giuseppe Bonno and Count Orsini-Rosenberg—Benny
For each character, your research outline should focus on the following items:
- a brief biography that summarizes important life events, positions held, and
accomplishments
- your character’s activities during the time-span of the movie, 1780-1791
- any interactions between your character and Mozart during
this time period
In addition to the above, be prepared to answer these questions about your
character:
- How and why was your character important to musical life in Vienna?
- How and why is your character important in the study of Mozart?
- How well did your character and Mozart know each other? What kind of
relationship did they have?
- Did your character help or hinder Mozart and his career? In what specific ways?
- What does Mozart say about your character in his letters (if anything)?
- Does your character have a special connection with specific Mozart operas or
other compositions? Which ones? What kind of connection?
The final written expression of your research on this project (and the previous three)
will be in the context of your critique of Amadeus for the final exam.
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Page created 8/26/02 by Mark Harbold—last updated
11/01/02.