History and Analysis of Acoustic Arts II. 1

Display Schedule

Code Completion Credits Range Language of instruction Semester
101DAU1 credit 2 2 lecture hours (45 min) of instruction per week, 32 to 42 hours of self-study English, Czech winter

Subject guarantor

Michal RATAJ

Name of lecturer(s)

Michal RATAJ

Department

The subject provides Composition Department

Contents

This is a two-semester course taught through reading texts, listening to songs and mutual dialogues and reflections. The goal is to be able to take a contextual analytical view and understand current trends and concepts in the acoustic arts on a creative, aesthetic, historical-contextual, and intermedia level. Through the analysis of recordings and scores, students are introduced to key works in the field of electroacoustic music and intermedia of the last decades, and through the study of texts, they delve into the reflection of discourses in the field of music and technology.

The structure of the specific works and texts analysed varies each academic year, with students being introduced to the specific syllabus no later than the first class of the new semester.

FALL 2026 Syllabus

Oct. 5 How to Talk About the History of (Contemporary) Music

The Past of Futurism

The Futurist Manifesto

BUSONI—EXCERPTS

Oct. 12 Radio—Where Did It Come From and What Is a Podcast?

La Radia

WELSH—Artificial Gardens of Paradise

Oct. 19 Text Sound and the Radio Play as Composition

Oct. 26 Musique concrète: The Secret of the Tape (Pierre Schaeffer)

text: Pierre Schaeffer: Acousmatics

November 2 The Beatles + Pink Floyd (≠) Stockhausen (1950–1970)

Nov. 9: The Transformation of a Destiny: György Ligeti

Nov. 16: Soundscape—Listening to the Landscape

text: RM Schaefer - The Music of the Environment

Nov. 23 Radio Art, Ars Acustica, and Other Broadcasts

text: Klaus Schoening, Andres Hagelücken

Nov. 30 POSTisms—The Post-Akusmatic World

Dec. 7 Noise, Glitch, No Input

Dec. 14 SOUND & Space, acoustic immersion

Dec. 21 Acoustic Christmas Gifts

Learning outcomes

The ability to look analytically at the work of other authors, to understand theoretical texts and to apply the knowledge gained to one's own creative practice.

Prerequisites and other requirements

Continuous reading of texts, listening to recordings. Active participation in the discussion.

Literature

All materials will be available by the start of the semester at the latest.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Credit is awarded for active participation, the ability to engage in discussion, and preparedness from week to week.

There is no minimum attendance requirement. Each semester concludes with an assessment in the form of an essay of 5–8 standard pages (max. 14,400 characters) that is thematically based on the analytical nature of the lectures and meets standard academic requirements.

Course web page

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Note

All materials will be available by the start of the semester at the latest.

Further information

This course is an elective for all AMU students

Schedule for winter semester 2026/2027:

06:00–08:0008:00–10:0010:00–12:0012:00–14:0014:00–16:0016:00–18:0018:00–20:0020:00–22:0022:00–24:00
Mon
room LIC-019
LAB 019
(Liechtenstein Palace)
RATAJ M.
13:00–14:30
(lecture parallel1)
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Date Day Time Tutor Location Notes No. of paralel
Mon 13:00–14:30 Michal RATAJ LAB 019
Liechtenstein Palace		 lecture parallel1

Schedule for summer semester 2026/2027:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans