Musc 208/408

Opera Workshop

Term: Spring 2007

Instructors:

Christopher Swanson

Office: Wygal 226

Office Phone: (434) 395-2496

Email: swansoncl@longwood.edu

Office hour: Thursday, 1:00 p. m. – 2:00 p. m.

Gene Muto

Office: Jarman 023

Office phone: 395-2761

Email: mutoet@longwood.edu

Office hour:

Class Accompanist:

Carole Harper

Office: Wygal 225

Office phone:

Email: 1337harper@earthlink.net

Class Meeting Time & Place:

Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00-12:15

026 Jarman (other locations will be used and announced during the semester)

Textbook and other materials:

No required textbook. Students may be required to purchase music.

Suggested reading: Brel and Chanson: A Critical Appreciation, by Sara Poole. Dallas: University Press of America, 2004. [ML 410.B8433 P66 2004] On reserve in the Library.

Ticket cost to Virginia Opera production of Cavellaria Rusticana and I pagliacci (Friday, March 23).

More details to follow.

Other required materials:

Appropriate clothing and footwear for rehearsals.

Course objectives:

To learn dramatic and musical techniques and to apply them to practical situations.
To learn, stage and produce the musical Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

Course Requirements:

You are required to attend every class unless otherwise instructed.
You are required to actively participate in each class period.
You are required to complete and hand-in any assignments on-time. Assignments handed in after the due date will receive a grade of ‘F.’
You are required to learn and memorize the music and texts assigned to you and to be prepared for exercises and rehearsals in every class period.
You are required to work with the class accompanist in order to prepare for classes and performances.

Grading Policy:

At the end of each semester, you will receive a letter grade that will reflect your participation, achievement, ability, improvement, and final performance.

In class participation: 50%

Assignments/Quizzes 20%

Final Exam/Performances: 30%

Once all factors are tallied, your grade will be based on a 100 point system:

A - 100-90 (A 100-93, A- 92-90)

B – 89-80 (B+ 89-88, B 86-83, B- 82-80)

C – 79-70 (same)

F – 69-0

Assignments:

Learn, memorize and be able to recite one verse of the aria “Modern Major General” from The Pirates of Penzance.
All music majors will perform a song or aria in English for the rest of the class from memory paying special attention to the communication of the text. All theater majors will perform a short monologue (2-4 minutes) for the rest of the class from memory. This will take place over two class periods and the order of performances will be chosen randomly, beginning with MUSC 408 students.
All theater majors will perform a song or aria in English for the rest of the class from memory paying special attention to the communication of the text. All music majors will perform a short monologue (2-4 minutes) for the rest of the class from memory. This will take place over two class periods and the order of performances will be chosen randomly, beginning with MUSC 408 students.
All students will learn and memorize the patter-song “Modern Major General” from The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. All students will be required to perform the song for the class.

Attendance Policy:

You are expected to attend all classes. Daily in-class assignments, quizzes, exercises, and rehearsals cannot be made up for unexcused absences and you will receive an F for such assignments. Your grade will be lowered by one letter grade if you miss 10% of the scheduled classes. If you miss a total (excused or unexcused) of 25% of the scheduled classes you will fail the course.

“Students must assume full responsibility for any loss incurred because of absence, whether excused or unexcused…. Excused absences are those resulting from the student’s participation in a university sponsored activity, from recognizable emergencies, or from serious illness.”

(from the Faculty Manual: Policies and Procedures)

Honor Code Statement:

“We will not lie, cheat, steal, or plagiarize, nor will we tolerate those who do.”

“I, having a clear understanding of the basis and spirit of the Honor Code created and accepted by the students of Longwood, Farmville, Virginia, pledge myself to govern my life at Longwood according to its standards and to accept my responsibility for helping others to do so, and with sensitive regard for my institution, to live by the Honor Code at all times and to see that others do likewise.”

Course Content Outline:

In each class we will do warm-ups, dramatic exercises, and rehearsals. Class content will vary from day to day. The first several weeks will be spent with acting exercises while the students are learning and memorizing music. Schedules for rehearsals will be given out a week before rehearsals begin.

Class schedule as of January 18, 2007. SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

	Date	location	topic	Personnel
1	Thursday, January 18	Jarman 026		Tutti
2	Tuesday, January 23	Jarman 026	11:00-11:30 – Physical warm-ups 11:30-11:35 – Vocal warm-ups 11:35-12:00 – Assignment 1 12:00-12:15 – Concentration exercises	Tutti
2	Thursday, January 25	Jarman 026	11:00-11:30 – Physical warm-ups 11:30-11:35 – Vocal warm-ups 11:35-12:00 – Assignment 1 12:00-12:15 – Concentration exercises	Tutti
3	Tuesday, January 30	Jarman 026	11:00-11:15 – Physical warm-ups 11:15-11:20 – Vocal Warm-ups 11:15-12:15 – Assignment 2	Tutti
3	Thursday, February 1	Jarman 026	11:00-11:15 – Physical warm-ups 11:15-11:20 – Vocal Warm-ups 11:15-12:15 – Assignment 2	Tutti
4	Tuesday, February 6	Jarman 026		Tutti
4	Thursday, February 8	Jarman 026		Tutti
5	Tuesday, February 13	Jarman 026	Assignment 2	Tutti
5	Thursday, February 15	Jarman 026	Assignment 2	Tutti
6	Tuesday, February 20	Jarman 026		Tutti
6	Thursday, February 22	Jarman 026		Tutti
7	Tuesday, February 27	Jarman 026		Tutti
7	Thursday, March 1	Jarman 026		Tutti
8	Tuesday, March 6	Jarman 026	Assignment 3	Tutti
8	Thursday, March 8	Jarman 026	Assignment 3	Tutti
9	Spring Break, March 12-16
10	Tuesday, March 20	Jarman 026		Tutti
	Thursday, March 22	Jarman 026		Tutti
	Friday, March 23	Landmark Theater, Richmond VA		Tutti
11	Tuesday, March 27	Jarman 026		Tutti
11	Thursday, March 29	Jarman 026		Tutti
12	Monday, April 2 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Tuesday, April 3 (11 am)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Tuesday, April 3 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Wednesday, April 4 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Thursday, April 5 (11 am)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Thursday, April 5 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Friday, April 6 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Saturday, April 7 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
13	Monday, April 9 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Tuesday, April 10, 11 am	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Tuesday, April 10 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Wednesday, April 11 (pm)		No rehearsal
	Thursday, April 12 (11 am)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Thursday, April 12 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Friday, April 13 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Saturday, April 14 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
	Sunday, April 15 (pm)	TBA	Dress rehearsal: TBA
14	Tuesday, April 17, 11 am	TBA
	Wednesday, April 18, 7 pm	Jarman	Opening Night: Jacques Brel	All
	Thursday, April 19, 7 pm	Jarman	Jacques Brel	All
	Friday, April 20, 7 pm	Jarman	Jacques Brel	All
	Saturday, April 21, 7 pm	Jarman	Jacques Brel	All
	Sunday, April 22, 4 pm	Jarman	Jacques Brel	All
15	Tuesday, April 24
15	Thursday, April 26
	No Exam

We may do some off-campus performances in local areas. These are not yet scheduled. Most will be in the immediate area (public schools, nursing home, etc.), will not require participation of the entire class, and will only require a few hours.