Course Unit Form
Course unit title:
Compositional Practice (Optional Course Unit)
Code of the scientific area:
Mus
Duration (annual, semester or term):
Annual
Total student workload (total hours):
260.0
Contact hours:
In-person (P) - TP-0.0; PL-30.0
% of distance-learning contact hours:
0.00%
ECTS credits:
10.0
Responsible lecturer and corresponding teaching load in the course unit:
Dimitrios Andrikopoulos - 10.0h
Other lecturers and their teaching load in the course unit:
Learning outcomes and their compatibility with the teaching method (knowledge, skills and competences to be developed by students):
1. Development of a personal and original style in musical creation, within the aesthetic and stylistic contexts of the student's research project. 2. Development of a broad awareness of musical languages and discourses. 3. Development of an in-depth awareness of the multiple roles a composer may play in society. 4. Development of medium- and long-term creative projects, always involving the creation of new music.
Syllabus:
1. Aesthetic reflection on contemporary musical languages and the roles of the composer in society. 2. Study of contemporary techniques in composition and musical creation. 3. Use of literary text in the composition of works for solo voice, choir or other instrumentation. 4. Application of techniques studied in other course units of the programme that involve new technologies. 5. Realisation of works of varied character.
Demonstration of the coherence between the syllabus and the course unit's learning outcomes:
The curricular structure of this course unit was designed to provide a flexible and personalised approach to musical composition, ensuring coherence between content and learning outcomes. Aesthetic reflection on contemporary musical languages is directly linked to the development of critical thinking about the aesthetic and stylistic contexts of musical creation (O1 and O2). The study of contemporary techniques and the application of literary text in composition expand awareness of musical discourses and the multiple roles of the composer in society (O2 and O3). The integration of new technologies and the realisation of diverse works reinforce students' creative autonomy and their capacity to structure medium- and long-term projects (O4). This approach allows students to develop an authorial, informed path, combining experimentation and critical analysis with compositional practice.
Teaching and learning methodologies specific to the course unit, articulated with the pedagogical model:
The teaching and learning methodologies are aligned with the programme's pedagogical model, which favours the articulation between theory and practice, the development of critical thinking and applied experimentation. Classes are held as laboratory practice, providing an environment of continuous exploration, in which musical composition is approached as a dynamic process of research and creation. The course unit integrates structured teaching methods, operationalised through specific strategies and pedagogical tools, ensuring a balance between practical experimentation, critical analysis and pedagogical support.
1 - Method: individualised attention in a laboratory context • Strategy - supporting each student's creative path during practical sessions • Tools - individual guidance sessions, process review, continuous feedback • During laboratory sessions, students receive support to adjust compositional strategies and explore creative solutions.
2 - Method: teaching based on critical analysis • Strategy - study and discussion of works and texts relevant to contemporary composition • Tools - guided readings, listening and comparative analysis, structured debates • The analysis of repertoire and specialist literature allows students to understand different compositional approaches and situate their own work within the artistic landscape.
3 - Method: collaborative learning in the laboratory • Strategy - critical discussion of individual work in a shared experimentation environment • Tools - peer feedback sessions, work-in-progress presentations, sharing of creative processes • The exchange of ideas and observation of peers' work foster reflection on compositional processes, encouraging critical development and artistic practice.
4 - Method: applied artistic research • Strategy - laboratory exploration of new technical and aesthetic possibilities in composition • Tools - practical experimentation, trials, simulation of performative contexts, integration of new technologies • Applying the methodologies studied makes it possible to test theoretical concepts and develop compositional solutions in real time.
5 - Method: learning oriented towards artistic production • Strategy - ongoing development of creative projects, integrating the knowledge acquired in laboratory sessions • Tools - structured planning, progressive support, critical analysis of the creative process • Students are encouraged to structure compositional projects that reflect an informed authorial path, sustained by ongoing experimentation and reflection.
Assessment:
Assessment will be based on the presentation of a short work (5–10 minutes), developed over the course of the year in class. The final version must be submitted by 31 May.
Students are responsible not only for composing the work, but also for organising its public performance. This process must be coordinated with DocMus.pt resources and with ESMAE's master's and undergraduate programmes, encouraging collaboration between different levels of training and promoting a real musical production context.
The presentation includes an oral explanation of approximately 10 minutes, in which the student sets out the conceptual, technical and methodological principles of the work. This is followed by a defence of approximately 15 minutes, discussing the foundations of the creative process, the artistic choices and the positioning of the work within the context of contemporary musical creation.
Assessment considers: • Quality and coherence of the final result • Articulation between concept, methodology and practical realisation • Capacity for argumentation and theoretical grounding • Artistic quality and innovation of the work • Capacity for organisation and coordination with available resources • Clarity and consistency of the explanation and defence of the work • Relevance of the work within the context of contemporary musical creation
Assessment favours students' autonomy in managing the creative and organisational process, promoting experimentation, critical reflection and integration into professional and academic contexts.
Students who do not pass the assessment may submit a revised version of the assignment by 30 June.
Demonstration of the coherence between the teaching and assessment methodologies and the course unit's learning outcomes:
The teaching and assessment methodologies of the course unit "Compositional Practice" were designed to ensure the acquisition and application of the competences set out in the learning outcomes. The pedagogical model adopted favours laboratory practice, integrating compositional experimentation with critical analysis and theoretical reflection, in an ongoing process of research and creation.
O1, which focuses on the development of a personal and original style, is promoted through ongoing compositional practice, supported by methodologies of individualised attention, critical discussion and laboratory exploration of new technical and aesthetic approaches.
O2, related to deepening awareness of musical languages and discourses, is achieved through the critical analysis of key works and texts, allowing students to contextualise their output within the contemporary music landscape.
O3, which aims at understanding the composer's multiple roles in society, is worked on through coordination with DocMus.pt resources and with ESMAE's master's and undergraduate programmes, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and students' integration into professional contexts.
O4, which involves the development of medium- and long-term creative projects, is directly supported by the learning methodology oriented towards artistic production. Structured planning, progressive review and continuous support ensure the maturation of compositional ideas, culminating in the creation and public presentation of a final work.
The assessment methodology reflects these principles, structured as a process of continuous support culminating in the submission and presentation of the final work. The requirement for an oral explanation and a defence before a panel of lecturers reinforces students' capacity to justify their artistic and methodological choices, developing competences in argumentation, theoretical grounding and communication.
In this way, the course unit ensures a balance between creative practice, critical analysis and the capacity for integration into the artistic and academic milieu, promoting an autonomous and sustained path for each student.
Bibliography (recommended/compulsory reading):
Adler, S. (2016). The study of orchestration (3rd ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.
Assis, P., Brooks, W., & Coessens, K. (Eds.). (2013). Sound and score: Essays on sound, score and notation. Leuven University Press.
Cope, D. (2004). Virtual Music: Computer Synthesis of Musical Style. MIT Press
Emmerson, S. & Landy, L. (2016). Expanding the Horizon of Electroacoustic Music Analysis. Cambridge University Press.
Licht, L. (2019). Sound Art Revisited. Bloomsbury Academic. Messiaen, O. (1999–2002). Traité de rythme, de couleur, et d'ornithologie (1949–1992). Alphonse Leduc. Moore, A. (2016). Sonic Art. Routledge
Rahn, J. (1989). Sound and structure. Pendragon Press.
Roads, C. (2015). Composing electronic music: A new aesthetic. MIT Press.
Ross, A. (2007). The rest is noise: Listening to the twentieth century. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Townsend, P. (2014). Sounds of Music: The impact of innovation and technology on musical appreciation and composition. PublishNation
Remarks:
This course unit is intended to support doctoral students wishing to carry out projects in the field of composition. The course unit requires a minimum of 3 enrolments to run.
