SPECIALTY "MUSICOLOGY"

PRELIMINARY CREATIVE SELECTION for applicants to the specialty “Musicology” includes a written assignment on harmony and solfeggio (see requirements below).

The competitive exam consists of the following sections:

  • Written essay

  • Harmony and solfeggio (oral)

  • Colloquium

  • Music literature

  • Piano

WRITTEN ESSAY

The applicant must write an essay in class on a topic proposed by the examination committee. The volume of the essay should be no less than 3–4 handwritten pages; writing time – 4 hours.

In order to identify the breadth of an applicant’s outlook, professional interests, and ability to present their thoughts logically, essay topics should allow for various genre approaches, such as: monographic essay; generalized description of a certain genre in a specific historical era; analysis of a particular musical work, etc. Each topic can be presented as an analytical work, as an introduction to a concert, as a lecture text, a radio broadcast, or in other genres.

Sample essay topics:

  • The works of J.S. Bach and the present day.

  • The symphonic poems of F. Liszt.

  • The development of the sonata form in the works of 19th-century composers.

  • A. Scriabin and S. Rachmaninoff: a comparative characterization of their creative work.

  • A creative portrait of D. Shostakovich.

  • Issues in the development of Soviet pop music.

  • Song during the Great Patriotic War.

  • Methods of testing musical hearing for applicants to children’s music schools.

  • Form-building means of classical harmony.

  • The historical evolution of the rondo.

MUSIC LITERATURE

The applicant must know the main stages of development and the most significant phenomena of the musical culture of the peoples of the USSR and foreign countries, musical literature (according to the list attached), and be well oriented in educational, musicological and critical literature on the questions under consideration.

List of musical works

1. Foreign music literature:

(Here follows a large list of works and composers. Traditionally, names of works and composers are not translated, but preserved in their original form.)

— J.S. Bach. Preludes and fugues from “The Well-Tempered Clavier” (2–3 of your choice). Organ Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue. Mass in B minor (selected parts).

— H. Berlioz. Symphonie Fantastique.

— L. Beethoven. Symphonies No. 3, 4, 6, 9. Overture “Egmont”. Piano sonatas No. 5, 8, 14, 17, 21, 23 (first movement).

— G. Bizet. Opera “Carmen”: introduction, boys’ choir, workers’ choir, Habanera, Seguidilla from Act I; gypsy song, aria of José from Act II; intermezzo, fortune-telling from Act III; intermezzo, final duet from Act IV. Two suites from the music for the play “L’Arlésienne” by A. Daudet.

— J. Brahms. Symphony No. 4 in E minor. Piano pieces (Op. 117–119).

— R. Wagner. Overture to the opera “Tannhäuser”. Introduction to the opera “Lohengrin”. Excerpts from the tetralogy “The Ring of the Nibelung” (“The Ride of the Valkyries”, “Funeral March”).

— C. M. von Weber. Opera “Der Freischütz”: overture, folk scenes from Acts I and III, Max’s aria, Agatha’s aria, the Wolf’s Glen scene.

— G. Verdi. Opera “Rigoletto”: Introduction, Duke’s ballad, Gilda’s aria, chorus “Silence, silence” from Act I; Rigoletto’s scene and aria from Act II; Duke’s song and quartet from Act III. Opera “La Traviata”: introduction, Violetta’s aria from Act I; Germont’s aria from Act II; finale of Act III; Violetta’s aria from Act IV. Opera “Aida”: introduction, Radames’s romance, Aida’s aria from Act I; Aida and Amneris’s scene and duet, march from Act II; final duet of Aida and Radames.

(The list is extensive—if required, I can send the complete list in a separate file or block.)

COLLOQUIUM

The colloquium reveals the level of general cultural and philosophical preparation of the applicant, awareness in related arts, erudition in musical art, knowledge of major works by CIS and foreign musicologists, well-known music critics, contemporary periodicals, and problems of CIS music. Knowledge of literature on the theory, history, and pedagogy of music is tested depending on the applicant’s interests.

Literature for the colloquium:

  • Asafiev B. Selected Works Vol. II, IV. Moscow, 1954–55.

  • Lunacharsky A. In the World of Music. Articles and Speeches. Moscow, 1977.

  • Rimsky-Korsakov N. Chronicle of My Musical Life. Moscow, 1980.

  • Serov A. Selected Works, Articles. Moscow, 1957.

  • Sollertinsky I. Musical-Historical Studies Vol. I. Moscow, 1963.

  • Zuckerman V. Musical-Historical Essays and Studies. Moscow, 1975.

  • Tchaikovsky P. Musical-critical articles / Complete Collected Works / Literary Works and Correspondence, Vol. 8. Moscow, 1971.

  • Schumann R. Selected Articles on Music, 1956.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PIANO

See the corresponding section under the specialization "Academic Choir Conducting."

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR MUSICAL-THEORETICAL DISCIPLINES

Solfeggio (oral):

  • Singing scales in keys with 3 to 7 accidentals: both types of major and three types of minor, chromatic major scale up and down, chromatic minor scale up;

  • All types of triads and seventh chords with inversions and resolutions, as well as modulations to keys of the I, II, and III degrees of kinship;

  • Sight-singing a single-voice melody in major or minor with chromatic (altered) notes, possible deviations and modulations to related keys, in simple and compound time signatures, with various rhythmic difficulties; two-voice harmonic or polyphonic examples (play one voice, sing the other).

Difficulty level: A. Ostrovsky, S. Solovyov, V. Shokin “Single-voice Solfeggio”, No. 88, 156; I. Spassobin “2- and 3-voice Solfeggio”, No. 72, 89.

Harmony (oral):

  • On the piano: playing modulations (gradual) to keys of I, II, III degrees of kinship in the form of a period (a starting harmonic progression may be given);

  • Playing enharmonic modulations through D7;

  • Harmonic analysis from sheet music of works in various styles. The complexity should not exceed: L. Beethoven — sonatas; P. I. Tchaikovsky — “The Seasons”; M. I. Glinka, P. I. Tchaikovsky, S. V. Rachmaninov;

  • Answering questions on harmony as may arise during the assignment.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR “GENERAL PIANO” SUBJECT

Performance program:

  • One polyphonic work in the original by a Russian, foreign, or CIS composer;

  • 1 or 2–3 movements of a sonata, or variations;

  • One free-form piece.

SPECIALTY "COMPOSITION"

Preliminary creative selection for applicants to the composition department includes writing a creative work in class (variations, arrangement of a folk song, prelude, etc.). Writing time – 5 hours. Work is done without an instrument.

The competitive exam for the composition department consists of:

  • Presentation of own compositions

  • Colloquium

  • Harmony (written, oral)

  • Piano

Presentation of own compositions:
The applicant must submit their compositions, demonstrating necessary professional creative abilities and skills in developing thematic material. Both instrumental and vocal (choral, solo, folk song arrangements) works are accepted.

Colloquium:

  • Testing aural skills;

  • Knowledge of elementary music theory, instrument studies, music literature at the level of a music college;

  • Testing analytical skills (comprehensive analysis of a small composition—sonatina, romance, song, etc.);

  • Also assesses the applicant’s erudition in musical art and related arts, knowledge of major works of Russian, foreign, and Soviet classics, as well as main trends in contemporary Soviet and foreign music.

Entrance requirements for musical-theoretical disciplines:
Same as above (solfeggio and harmony).

Piano:

  • One polyphonic work (in the original by a Russian, foreign, or CIS composer)

  • Sonata (1 or 2–3 movements), variations

  • One free-form piece