According to Aristotle, music “imitates the passions or states of the soul, such as gentleness, anger, courage, temperance, and their opposites.Discuss
Essays must be at least 800 words in length. Your content must be substantial and well thought out. Briefly introduce your topic in the first paragraph, and then go on to discuss it in some detail in subsequent paragraphs. Your essay should not be scattered in its flow or design. Always try to illuminate, or bring insight to some aspect of your topic. Always address the topic directly. In most cases there is little to no need for retelling the history of a subject as mentioned in the textbook or from my lessons; this essay is an opportunity for you to give your personal insight into the matter. Remember, you are graded on grammar and spelling, so please, take the time to proofread and check for spelling errors. Essays showing little to no regard for spelling will not receive a passing grade. Be sure to use complete sentences. This means to capitalize the first word of the sentence, use correct punctuation, use the correct verb tense, and avoid abbreviations. Do not be afraid to add a personal touch to your writing; however, avoid using both the first and second person point of view altogether (this means never use the words I, me, you, your, and the like). Instead, show me your best work. Take the time to express your thoughts in a professional yet eloquent manner. When applicable, use musical terminology in your writing. Although your essay should be based on your own insight, always be mindful of your writing style. Too often students fall into an overly informal tone. You may want to draft your essay “as you would speak” but remember to follow up by reworking a more collegiate tone into your paper. Imagine that you would be reading your essay aloud to an informed, yet interested audience; you would want to connect with your listeners by providing personal insight, all the while maintaining a professionally eloquent tone. Think deeply about what you want to say and choose your words carefully. Be very careful NOT to commit academic dishonesty by plagiarizing within your essay. I have found there is a tendency with some students to simply copy and paste paragraphs, or sections of paragraphs, right out of the textbook or off of a related website. You must use your own words when writing any college-level paper for credit. Any essays found guilty of academic dishonesty will receive an immediate zero with no opportunity for resubmission. When you are finished click Submit. Choose 1 of the following topics to discuss at length. 1. According to Aristotle, music “imitates the passions or states of the soul, such as gentleness, anger, courage, temperance, and their opposites. Music that imitates a certain passion arouses that same passion in the listener. Habitual listening to music that rouses ignoble passions distorts a person’s character. In short, the wrong kind of music makes the wrong kind of person, and the right kind tends to make the right kind of person.” Respond to this claim in terms of your understanding of music. Do you feel that Aristotle is correct or not? Use specific examples to support your claims. 2. The play The Marriage of Figaro (1784), which ridiculed the privileges of the aristocracy and set a common servant above his master, was banned throughout France and Austria. It has been considered an early indicator of the French Revolution. Certainly authorities of the eighteenth century felt justified in their banning of the work. Please discuss your position on artistic restrictions. Do you feel there is ever justification for a piece of art being restricted or banned from public consumption? Use specific examples to support your claims. 3. In recent years the question of whether or not to place high importance on film music has seen much debate. Many feel that, given the nature of the film industry (e.g. director restrictions, editorial cuts, etc.), that film music can not rightfully be considered alongside works of past masters. Others, however, champion some film scores as modern masterpieces in their own right. Given your understanding of the history of music, please discuss your thoughts regarding the status of film music. Do you believe that orchestral scores composed for films deserve to be an important part of the history of classical music? Why or why not? Use specific examples to support your claims. Remember, there is a strict due date/time for this assignment: Sunday, August 4 at 11:59 pm. Therefore, please do not wait until the last few minutes as you run the serious risk of the assignment closing just before submitting your work. Seeing that you are allowed ample time, the assignment will NOT be accepted after the due date/time has passed.
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