History and Culture Seminar (IIz/IIIz + p): The Performing Arts in France in the 19th and 20th Centuries 3304-1DZXW-KHK-28
The course aims to present (using selected examples from the 19th and 20th centuries) the evolution of the performing arts—namely, theater, opera, and ballet—in the context of aesthetic (Romanticism, Symbolism, Naturalism, 20th-century avant-garde movements), cultural (the beginnings of mass culture), and social (technological development).
The course will address issues related to the Romantic revolution in theater (the role of Romantic drama), the popularity of vaudeville and melodrama, and experiments in 20th-century theater.
An analysis of critical texts will shed light on the development of opera (Italian and German opera, comic opera, Wagner’s lyric drama), the significance of bel canto singing, and changes in the art of dance.
Reflection will also be given to the development of instrumental music (the popularity of symphonic concerts, e.g., Lamoureux’s concerts) and the impact of technical advances on listening practices (the invention of the teatrophon and the phonograph).
Course coordinators
Mode
Learning outcomes
- The student knows and understands the trends and methodology in research on 19th-century and first-half-20th-century French culture (K_W04)
- The student knows and understands aesthetic trends and selected phenomena in the performing arts in 19th-century and first-half-20th-century France (K_W05)
- The student is able to use basic concepts applied to the description of culture (K_U01, K_U03),
- The student is able to use various sources and methods, including modern information technologies, to search for, evaluate, and select information necessary for participation in classes (K_U09).
- The student is prepared to actively participate in French culture using various forms and media (K_K05)
Assessment criteria
- Mandatory attendance (two unexcused absences per semester; if there are more, students must provide an oral explanation during office hours)
- Preparation and active participation in class (participation in discussions, group work—continuous assessment)
- Preparation of a presentation (individually or in pairs)
- Written test (closed-ended and open-ended questions) on the knowledge acquired in class
Regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in class and in preparing presentations, the rules set forth in Resolution No. 42 of the Teaching Council for the Romanic Philology program, dated April 15, 2024, apply:
Resolution: https://romanistyka.wn.uw.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/RD_uchwala_42_15-kwietnia-2024_wytyczne_SI_.pdf
Attachment: https://romanistyka.wn.uw.edu.pl/wp-
content/uploads/2024/04/RD_resolution_42_April-15-
2024_guidelines_SI_ATTACHMENT_1.pdf
Teaching methods: discussion (guided discussion), group work, flipped classroom,
Bibliography
M. Kaltenecker (ed.), *Listening: From Antiquity to the 19th Century: An Anthology*, Paris, Editions MF, 2024.
L. Lévêque (ed.), *The Paths of Creation: Music and Literature Put to the Test of History*, Paris, L'Harmattan, 2013.
T. Picard (ed.), Music Criticism in the 20th Century, Rennes, PUR, 2020.
K. Saroh, Musical Theater in the 20th Century: A Political Experience, Arras, Artois Presses Université, 2021.
J-C Yon, A Cultural History of 19th-Century France, Paris, Armand Colin, 2010.
A Selection of Critical Texts and Scholarly Articles.