Key facts
UNE unit code: MUSI343
*You are viewing the 2026 version of this unit which may be subject to change in future.
- Not offered in 2026
- Yes
- No
- No
- 6
Unit information
This unit provides a survey of the development of European music through the 18th and 19th centuries.
You will examine Western musical forms within their aesthetic, cultural and technological contexts. You will progress through listening and analysis of European orchestral and vocal genres including the sonata, the symphony, the concerto, opera, lied, mélodie and sacred music.
As well as providing a general overview, studies in this unit will concentrate on recent trends in the research and performance of the music from this period and examine how our approaches to music and culture from this period are conditioned by our own social and cultural values.
Intensive schools
There are no intensive schools required for this unit.
Enrolment rules
Notes
Please refer to the student handbook for current details on this unit.
Unit coordinator(s)
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- identify and interpret the main musical conventions and styles in Western instrumental and vocal musics from c.1750 to c.1914;
- demonstrate broad theoretical and technical knowledge of the cultural, technological and aesthetic contexts which drove Western musical development from c.1750 to c.1914;
- select and apply analytical, technical and communicative skills from recent research and performance practice studies to the interpretation of historical music; and
- demonstrate autonomy in the use of advanced information literacy tools and the application of investigative skills relevant to the practice of musicology.
Assessment information
Assessments are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
| Title | Must Complete | Weight | Offerings | Assessment Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asessment 2: Pre-essay reflection | Yes | 10% | All offerings | No. Words: 500 |
| Assessment 1: Collaboration Assessment Task | Yes | 20% | All offerings | Small group collaboration on a topic No. Words: 1000 (equivalent) |
| Assessment 3: Essay | Yes | 50% | All offerings | No. Words: 2500 |
| Assessment 4: Listening Assessment | Yes | 20% | All offerings | No. Words: 1000 (equivalent) |
Learning resources
Textbooks are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
Note: Students are expected to purchase prescribed material. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
A History of Western Music International Student Edition
ISBN: 9780393668193
Burkholder, J.P., Grout, D.J. and Palisca, C.V., W.W. Norton & Company 10th ed. 2019
Text refers to: All offerings
The Norton Anthology of Western Music, Vol. 2: Classic to Romantic
ISBN: 9780393656428
Burkholder, J.P. and Palisca, C.V., W.W. Norton and Company 8th ed. 2019
Text refers to: All offerings
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