Music Direction 9

Subject guarantor:

Jaroslav RYBÁŘ, Sylva STEJSKALOVÁ

Name of lecturer(s):

Jaroslav RYBÁŘ, Sylva STEJSKALOVÁ

Learning outcomes of the course unit:

1. To create a comprehensive idea of a music director's tasks in the recording, editing and final process of a music recording.

2. Further develop skills in analysing artists' performance.

3. Further develop skills in analysing the sound quality of a music recording.

4. To expand knowledge of music literature in releation to the characteristic markings of historical styles and composition techniques of contemporary music.

5. Introduction to the development and basic technical principles of sound recording.

Mode of study:

Presentation regarding issues in sound recording and the work of the music director in the studio, the various aspects of this activty (ex: the recorded music genre, historical music, modern music, etc, other psychological aspects of musical director work, etc.)

Listening to recordings, analysis of musical performance and recording sound treatment. Comparison of various interpretations and discussions about them.

Student performance analyses in the „Practice in the Studio“ course.

Prerequisites and co-requisites:

Listening ability. Extensive knowledge of music theory (harmony, counterpoint, music form, instrument study). Ability to analyse a work of music. Presumed knowledge of the content from the previous year of study.

Recommended optional programme components:

Copious visits to concert productions, that is opera performances accompanied by critique and analytical perception. Listening to the greatest possible number of recordings in an effort to create one's analytical and critical approach. Visits to professional recording studios.

Course contents:

Lecture section (review of all issues of the subject)

1) Brief history of the technical development of sound recording.

2) Execution of a sound recording from a historical development viewpoint

3) Historical development of sound recording as an aesthetic phenomenon

4) Various types of music recording from the viewpoint of manner execution and use.

5) Aesthetics of modern music recording

6) An acoustic space and its importance in the execution of a music recording.

7) Historical development of the music directing profession

8) Role and position of the music director in a modern professional recording team

9) Psychological aspects of music directing practice.

10) Technical aspects of recording

11) The microphone - its potential and limits

12) Monophonics, stereophonics and multi-channel technology

13) Recording preparations

14) Particular tasks of the music director during recording

15) Differentiation of working processes related to types of music recorded

16) Editing a music recording - working processes

17) Development of editing technology

18) Aesthetic aspects of music recording edit assembly

19) Final recording processing - mastering

20) Additional adjustments to the original recording acoustic space - artificial reverb.

21) Arranging a composition, respectively its parts into a final recording version.

22) Particular issues is recording and processing live recordings.

23) Adjsutments and processing of historical recordings using modern technology.

24) Music recording documentation.

25) Music recording dramaturgy issues on modern media

Class section

1) Performance analysis of significant recordings, analysis of their sound concept (space acoustical characteristics, measure of reverb, manner of recording, presence or absence, etc.) Discussion.

2) Discussions on thesis topics.

3) Analysis and discussions on student performance in the Studio Practice course.

4) Thesis preparations.

Recommended or required reading:

Music recordings (CD, DVD,LP, cassette).

1. Key recordings of Czech chamber, symphonic and opera music (ex. Smetana: Má vlast - Talich, Ančerl, Neumann, Smetáček, Bělohlávek, Kubelík, etc.)

2. Important recordings of world music (ex.. historically scholarly recordings of J.E. Gardiner - Mozart: Koncerty pro klavír, Beethoven: Symfonie etc.).

Accompanying notation material

Texts:

Jaroslav Rybář: Hudební režie

Instruction texts dealing with issues in recording classical music and music direction. (This text does not currently have the official textbook form for the Music Direction course)

.

Publications:

Václav Syrový: Akustika

Václav Vlachý: Praxe zvukové techniky

Ladislav Šíp: Nahrávání a reprodukovaná hudba

Ladislav Šíp: Pěvci před mikrofonem

Václav Zamazal: Hudební nástroje před mikrofonem

Planned learning activities and teaching methods:

lecture, classes

Assessment methods and criteria:

Credit is awarded based on these criteria:

1. Overall activity in class discussions

2. The written developed semester course paper (analysis of performanc and recording sound concept) and its presentation in class.

3. A written developed review of at least two concert or opera performance attendances.

Course web page:

Note:

none

Schedule for winter semester 2013/2014:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

Schedule for summer semester 2013/2014:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans:

• Obor Hudební režie (Mg) (compulsory subject of the main qualification)