Music

Course summary

Music A-Level is diverse and exciting. Candidates have the opportunity to express themselves through performance and composition, as well as study a wide variety of music, from Beethoven to Beyoncé! Much like at GCSE, A-level music is divided into three components: Component 1 Appraising Music The candidate takes three units; one of which is Compulsory, and the other two being chosen by the candidate from six AoS options. These are as follows: AoS (area of study) 1 [Compulsory] - Western Classical Music Topics: Baroque Solo Concerto (focus on Purcell, Vivaldi, and Bach); the operas of Mozart (specifically The Marriage of Figaro); Piano Sonatas of Chopin, Brahms, Grieg. AoS 2 [Optional] Pop Music Artists: Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Muse, Beyoncé, Daft Punk, Labrinth. AoS 3 [Optional] Music for Media (Film, Television, and Gaming) Composers: Bernard Herrmann, Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, Thomas Newman, Nobuo Uematsu. AoS 4 [Optional] Music for Theatre Composers: Kurt Weill, Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Jason Robert Brown. AoS 5 [Optional] Jazz Artists: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, Gwilym Simcock. AoS 6 [Optional] Contemporary Traditional Music Artists: Astor Piazzolla, Toumani Diabate, Anoushka Shankar, Mariza, Bellowhead. AoS 7 [Optional] Art Music Since 1910 Composers: Dmitri Shostakovich, Olivier Messiaen, Steve Reich, James MacMillan. Component 2 Performance Present a performance lasting between six and twelve minutes, either on your own, as part of a group, or a combination of the two. Component 3 Composition Complete two compositions, one to a brief set by the exam board and one a 'free' composition.