MUT1121 FINAL ESSAY
The prompt for my MUT1121 Final Essay was:
Write a 1000–2000 word essay that uses musical theoretic distinctions (harmony, counterpoint, nonchord tones, harmonic rhythm, etc.) to make a partially ordered taxonomy of tokens that form the "type" of the excerpt from Corelli's Concerto Grosso No. 8 that comprised analysis excerpt 1.[1] I mean "partially ordered" in the set theoretical sense of the term; tokens, categorized into groups and subgroups, should be compared whenever appropriate to reveal the extent to which they are necessary for distinguishing their type. In explicating this taxonomy, always describe the theoretical paradigm through which your decisions are being made,[2] noting how the paradigm has any bearing on the intrinsic properties of the work or, in the case of those theories that are historically proximal to the work,[3] the extrinsic properties in which the work is situated. Lastly, identify which of these tokens are the most useful in deepening one's aesthetic response to the work. In doing so, do not hesitate to show how your personal aesthetic reaction is enhanced by these theoretical frameworks.
Your paper will be evaluated along the following criteria:
Does the student evidence understanding of types as aesthetic universals as opposed to particulars? Furthermore, does the student clearly understand how a token contributes to a type?
Is the student's taxonomy of tokens rich and comprehensive in its describing of the work? Is every token identified as being a token in fact a token, and does the student adequately justify tokens' "tokenness" with respect to other tokens (or, in other words, is the taxonomy partially ordered)?
Does the student clearly demonstrate how different theories reveal different tokens of the work, especially with reference to intrinsic versus extrinsic properties?
Does the student provide a compelling argument about those tokens that help magnify and intensify one's aesthetic engagement with the work, and does the student provide personal evidence of what this engagement might be like?
Does the student write a well organized and grammatically correct essay?
To listen to Corelli's Concerto Grosso no.8:
Click here to view the corresponding sheet music to Corelli's Concerto Grosso no.8