CLAS 230
Mythology and Music
SYLLABUS
Spring 2006
Dr. James E. Betts, instructor

Room 114, Wallace Hall, 11:00-12:15 T Th

TEXTS    ACTIVITIES    GRADING    COURSE SCHEDULE

COURSE GOALS:

To study selected figures in Greek and Roman mythology;
To observe how these myths influenced and were influenced by the culture of later historical periods;
To compare versions of several myths;
To see how composers used these myths as stimuli for their own compositions;
To briefly survey other mythologies that have been represented in musical compositions.

COURSE CONCEPT

This course is one of the courses which fulfill the appreciation requirement for the Beauty and Meaning in Works of Art component of the General Education course of study. As such, it should be seen as a combination of music appreciation and myth study, involving study and understanding of both areas in order to better understand the relationships between the classical tradition, literature, and music. Although there are several possible ways to organize such a course, in this case the organizational structure will be the mythological subjects, which will in some cases mean that a particular mythological narrative may be heard in settings representing very different musical styles and genres.