GM4056 German Popular Music: Sound, Page and Screen

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Module description

Germany and Austria, countries of Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner, have also become known internationally for popular music in the last 60 years, from 'Krautrock' and punk to techno and Conchita Wurst. Over this time, different forms of popular music have been associated in complex and changing ways with politics, identities and sub-cultures. This module centres on a theoretical question: how can we analyse music's cultural significance? Students will develop an intermedial approach, studying text and visual sources alongside a playlist to investigate the associations of various genres. We will use methods and theories from queer, gender and critical race studies. We will analyse song lyrics and music in literature and film, and students will be encouraged to supplement study of these textual and visual media with comments on the music itself. Each week will treat a different genre, with students producing a research project that encourages them to combine materials from seminars with other topics and materials of their choice. No prior knowledge of music required.