Undergraduate Course: Baroque: An Italian Introduction to the Universe (ELCI10026)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | European Languages and Cultures - Italian |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | According to the semiologist Omar Calabrese, contemporary culture can be generally described as $ùNeo-Baroque.&© If so, what is Baroque? And why is it so relevant for contemporary culture? Art historian Erwin Panofsky claims that it is essentially $ùan Italian phenomenon,&© and the comparatist Mario Praz explains that it is a $ùnew interpretation of the Universe,&© which marks the beginning of modernity with a new vision of the connections between arts and science. We will explore some of these connections between modern and $ùpost-modern&© age, and challenge the $ùgreat divide&© between high and popular culture. The leading metaphor is taken from hip-hop music: like a turntable stylus reading the tracks of a record back and forth, we will tackle the meaning of the Baroque style by $ùscratching&© on the modern Italian universe and bringing into discussion some key authors of 20th-century Italian culture, in particular: the art historian Roberto Longhi, the novelist Anna Banti, the historian Carlo Ginzburg, and the composer Luigi Nono. Within this framework, we will study the rhetoric of Tesauro and the poetical works of Marino, the art of Caravaggio and Artemisia, the early opera of Monteverdi and Vivaldi, the birth of modern science with Galilei, the imaginative philosophy of Bruno and the ingenious heresies of Menocchio. The course will conclude with a $ùhigh-pop&© festino. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Entrance to Italian Honours. |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | In order to be eligible to take 4th Year Options, Visiting Students should have the equivalent of at least two years of study at University level of the appropriate language(s) and culture(s) |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | No |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course students will be expected to show the ability:
- to demonstrate sound knowledge and understanding of the chosen specialism(s)
- to recognise and acknowledge the complexity of the subject
- to show an understanding of and apply competently relevant concepts and theories
- to construct coherent arguments which demonstrate an awareness of the problems posed by the texts/ issues studied
- to demonstrate a high level of expression in both written and oral presentations
- to offer alternative perspectives and show an awareness of contrasting viewpoints |
Assessment Information
| 1 essay (30% of total mark), 1 exam (70% of total mark) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Baroque |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Davide Messina
Tel:
Email: D.Messina@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Jacqueline Barnhart
Tel: (0131 6)50 4026
Email: Jackie.Barnhart@ed.ac.uk |
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