course-details-portlet

MUSP4165

Musical understanding

Choose study year
Credits 7.5
Level Intermediate course, level II
Course start Autumn 2025
Duration 2 semesters
Language of instruction Norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Portfolio

About

About the course

Course content

The course aims to give performing music students a basic overview of the art music history. The content of the course will contribute to reflection on how impulses and trends occurs, and how these trends can be a resonance for the development of new music and new expressions in changing times.

Through discussions and thematization the students will reflect on the role and function of music and art has on and in human now and historically, in a social and cultural context. The students are supposed to discuss and raise awareness of own place and importance in the value chain of culture. The course also will give the students studying skills, skills in critical thinking and basic academic writing-skills.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

The candidate:

  • has basic overview over trends and expressions in art music
  • can reflect on the role of music and musicians contemporary and in society
  • has knowledge of and can reflect on issues related to repertoire and programming, interpretation, performing and different performing venues

Skills:

The candidate:

  • can express ideas and knowledge both in writing and orally
  • has a good musicological conceptual understanding
  • can use the library and orient themselves in different sources of knowledge
  • can make connections between what is learned in the course and their own practice as a musician

Learning methods and activities

Weekly classroom teaching, with lectures, seminar work and discussions. Courses in academic writing, source research, etc.

Compulsory assignments

  • Satisfactory participation in compulsory instruction
  • Assessments

Further on evaluation

Minimum of 80% satisfactory participation in all mandatory activities in the course.

All mandatory activities must be approved before the student can have the exam.

The portfolio must include essays and other works, equivalent to 8-10 A4 pages (line-spacing 1.5, 12-point font size, 2.5 margins) or equivalent (excluding music examples and bibliography). The content of the portfolio can be essays, concert reviews, videos and similar.

Specific conditions

Admission to a programme of study is required:
Music Performance Studies (BMUSP)

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
MUSV1031 7.5 sp Autumn 2024
This course has academic overlap with the course in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • Music Performance Studies

Contact information

Course coordinator

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Music

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: Portfolio
Grade: Passed / Not Passed

Ordinary examination - Spring 2026

Portfolio
Weighting 100/100 Exam system Inspera Assessment