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Master of Arts in Specialized Musical Performance – Early Music

Duration: generally two years
Workload: 120 Credit Points (CP)

2.1 Specialization Medieval-Renaissance

Prerequisites and content
This program is aimed towards students who have completed a very successful BA at the SCB in the specialization Medieval-Renaissance, as well as those who have studied elsewhere but who have a strong foundation in the theory and practise of music of the period. The focus of the program is European music from the Carolingian period until the 16th century.

Emphasis of  this course of study
The major concerns are perfecting instrumental and vocal competence, as well as the ability to work within the framework of an ensemble. Furthermore, independent scholarly work as well as artistic/creative activity are promoted through a yearly project under the tutelage of one of the instructors in the department: a special theme from the period is dealt with in depth and presented.  (2 x 30 CP). A Master’s thesis provides proof of the candidate’s capacity to deal with a subject in a scholarly and reflective manner. In addition, much emphasis is placed on ensemble work, including the ability to direct an ensemble.

Goals of the program, professional qualifications
The primary goal of this program is to help to develop an independent artistic personality as well as the ability to combine historic and artistic aspects of earlier music in a creative way, at a high level of instrumental and vocal competence. For music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance there is just the open ‘music market’ with concerts, courses and recordings. Therefore it is especially important to develop artistic and intellectual independence, a musical personality with creative flair and the ability to be a convincing performer.

            
2.2 Specialization Renaissance - Romantic

2.2.1 Variant Historical Performance Practice

Prerequisites and content
This program is geared especially towards musicians who have completed a degree in music at an an institute of higher education  who wish to gain additional competence in the field of Early Music, but do not intend to have a career in which Early Music is the sole focus point.  This two-year program is based mainly on performance practise. The theory subjects essential to Early Music are offered as a concentrated course which includes ear training, historical composition techniques, and historical notation, or - according to individual background and needs - they may be absolved as individual subjects. When there is sufficient background experience, this specialized course may be completed with 90 CP.

Goals of the program, professional qualifications
Advanced level of competence in playing a historical instrument / singing, as a complementary qualification to a standard course of study, combined with solid basic knowledge of Historic Music Theory.
The goal of this program is to achieve a high degree of competence in historical performance while maintaining a professional level with  modern instrumental or vocal projects.

Instructors:  see the Index of Instructors of major subjects

2.2.2 Variant Figured Bass / Ensemble Direction

Prerequisites and Content
This program is intended primarily for gifted keyboard players (especially harpsichordists) who have an excellent basis in figured bass as well as the technical ability, theoretical knowledge and creative flair necessary to deal with this subject in a comprehensive way. The program makes use of the unique competences and resources of the SCB, built up over the last decades and responsible for the reputation this ‘Hochschule’ has gained as a center for a historically informed and highly differentiated approach to playing figured bass. In addition to instruction in the major subject ‘Generalbass’, there is a smaller unit of practical instrumental instruction for increasing technical proficiency. An essential addition to the training in figured bass is a minor  in ensemble direction, since the two fields are closely interconnected.

Goals of the program,  professional qualifications
Graduates of this Master’s Degree course are capable of dealing competently with all types of tasks requiring a knowledge of figured bass.  In addition, the ability to lead an ensemble confidently through rehearsals as well as performances is of great importance.

Instructors:  Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, Jesper B. Christensen, Andrea  Marcon
(for ‘maestro al cimbalo’) and others.

2.2.3 Variant Improvization

Prerequisites and content
This program is geared particularly towards keyboard instrumentalists who are advanced not only technically but also in their ability to improvize according to historically informed criteria. Players of melody instruments may also be accepted in this program, if they show a special talent for, and affinity to, improvization.
Improvization in all its variants - for keyboard players, practically all forms of solo repertoire; for players of melody instruments particularly ornamentation, diminution, variations and cadences - is a central element of historical performance practise.  Ideally, this is where all the specific knowledge and competence gained in the field of Early Music flows together to create an exciting realm of ‘composition in performance’. The SCB offers a unique combination of courses in practical improvization and historical composition techniques, which has evolved  considerably since its revolutionary introduction in the 1970’s.
The aim of this program is to train the ability to improvize with a high degree of stylistic differentiation, as well as attaining knowledge of historic composition technique and figured bass, advanced technical competence instrumentally, and the ability to combine these capacities to create exciting and interesting musical results.

Goals of the program, professional qualifications
Strengthening historically informed improvization in the context of practical performance leads to new impulses in historical performance and creates a bridge to contemporary forms of improvized music. Graduates of this program will be capable of presenting  creative performances based on historical criteria. An intentional ‘side-effect’ of this program is to establish a new, creative approach to existing ‘monuments’ of music literature, and to achieve an up-to-date, dynamic attitude towards our musical heritage.

Instructors: Nicola Cumer, Emmanuel Le Divellec, Rudolf Lutz, Markus Schwenkreis (Improvization); Dr. Johannes Menke, Dr. Felix Diergarten (composition technique)

Directors of the courses of study:
Specialization Medieval/Renaissance: Dr. des. Jeremy Llewellyn
Specialization Renaissance - Romantic: Prof. Dr. Thomas Drescher, Dr. des Jeremy Llewellyn

Admission requirements:

• Matura, Abitur, Baccalauréat, High School Diploma, or equivalent
• Completed course of study in music: BA, MA, equivalent Diploma
• Above-average musical talent, professional aptitude, high qualification in the major subject
• Sufficient knowledge of German, which is the official teaching language at the SCB
• Successful entrance exam
• Available space in the program of your choice

Information:
- Entrance exam: theory (ear-training, basic musical knowledge)
- Entrance exam: practical part (examples of pieces to be performed in your major subject)

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