Key facts
UNE unit code: MUSI236
*You are viewing the 2026 version of this unit which may be subject to change in future.
- Trimester 1 - Online
- Yes
- No
- No
- 6
Unit information
This unit introduces you to European musical traditions and movements of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and early Baroque periods.
A range of musical genres and styles will be explored through active listening and score analysis, while European culture and society will be studied through scholarly literary sources. There are particular focuses on the development of musical theory, notation, composition, performance practice, the printing press and instruments in this period.
You will gain knowledge of early music notations from this period through engagement with primary sources. As well as providing a general overview, studies in this unit concentrate on recent trends in the research and performance of the music from this period.
Offerings
For further information about UNE's teaching periods, please go to Principal Dates.
| Teaching period | Mode/location |
|---|---|
| Trimester 1 | Online |
*Offering is subject to availability
Intensive schools
There are no intensive schools required for this unit.
Enrolment rules
Notes
Students must have access to desktop music notation typesetting software, e.g., Finale, MuseScore, Sibelius. UNE provides access to Sibelius.
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 music from the middle ages and early modern period;
- demonstrate an understanding of the cultural, technological and aesthetic contexts of music from the middle ages and early modern period;
- discuss and evaluate developments in printing, instrument making and vocal pedagogy in Western musical cultures;
- develop information literacy and investigative skills relevant to the practice of musicology; and
- transcribe, interpret and analyse basic primary and secondary musical sources.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Notation Assessment | No | 10% | All offerings | Transcription exercise and analysis No. Words: 500 (equivalent) |
| Assessment 2: Annotated Bibliography | Yes | 10% | All offerings | Pre-Essay annotated bibliography No. Words: 500 |
| Assessment 3: Notation Assessment | Yes | 30% | All offerings | An edition and critical notes No. Words: 1500 (equivalent) |
| Assessment 4: Essay | Yes | 30% | All offerings | Essay No. Words: 1500 |
| Assessment 5: Listening Assessment | Yes | 20% | All offerings | Listening Test 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.
The Norton Anthology of Western Music, Vol. 1
ISBN: 9780393656411
Burkholder, J.P. and Palisca, C.V., W.W. Norton & Company 8th ed. 2019
Text refers to: All offerings
A History of Western Music International Student Edition
ISBN: 9780393668155
Burkholder, J.P., Grout, D.J. and Palisca, C.V., W.W. Norton & Company 10th ed. 2019
Text refers to: All offerings
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