Bachelor of Arts in Music Education for Voice and Instruments (IGP) – Violin
Curriculum information at: https://www.mdw.ac.at/1320
Programme objective:
Training of instrumental and vocal music teachers for both institutional and freelance teaching careers. Concludes with a bachelor’s degree examination that represents a fully valid, state-recognised professional qualification.
Teaching activities may include:
Instrumental and/or vocal instruction at educational institutions (music schools, Oberstufenrealgymnasien [specialised upper-cycle academic secondary schools] with instrumental music as a compulsory subject, Gymnasien [classical academic secondary schools] with instrumental music as an elective), and freelance.
Admission criteria:
For the Music Education – Voice and Instruments (IGP) programme, the completion of which represents a fully valid form of professional qualification, a higher level of playing on one’s instrument is expected than for Music Education (ME).
Entrance Examination (corresponds to IME: 1st instrument)
- 1 etude
- 1 fast movement from a concerto
- From a work of one’s own choice from a different stylistic era: 1 slow movement (evaluation criterion: tone) and 1 fast movement (evaluation criterion: technique) – or alternatively: 1 work of one’s own choice from a different stylistic era that combines both evaluation criteria
Bachelor’s degree examination (corresponds to IME: bachelor’s degree examination, 1st instrument)
- 1 slow (with double-stops) and 1 fast movement from a solo sonata or partita by J. S. Bach
- 1 fast movement from a concerto at a level of difficulty at least equivalent to that of a Mozart concerto (with cadenza), of Haydn’s Concerto in C Major, or of a concerto by Kabalevsky, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Lalo, etc.
- 2 sonatas or other cyclical works (can be chamber music), 1 slow and 1 fast movement each
- 1 freely chosen work
One’s programme must include all of the main genres (sonata, concerto, chamber music), 1 work by Mozart, and the following styles: baroque, classical, romantic, and first half of the 20th century, plus 1 work composed after 1945 (a modern or contemporary work that differs markedly in style from works that are part of the traditional repertoire), with baroque and classical being accounted for by the works of Bach and Mozart.
Violin & piano is not a permissible combination for the chamber music work. The selected pieces of music must be played without repeats.
The piece with which the exam performance begins may be chosen by the candidate and must be played in its entirety. Long pieces (more than 7 min.) will be interrupted by the examiners.
Exam performance duration: ca. 25–30 min.
One’s chosen artistic programme must be made available in printed form at the examination.
Didactics Examination:
General Examination Criteria:
The didactics examination is meant to reveal a candidate’s comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge and abilities as well as to facilitate recognition of their ability to think within broader contexts. The concern here is with a sound approach to pedagogical and didactic issues as well as with the ability to work with students as their teacher in a way that makes sense. The candidate should also be capable of demonstrating details of playing technique on an instrument and should therefore bring along their violin to this examination.
At the examination, the applicant must present a list of 12 works that have been prepared with the general examination criteria (see above) in mind; this list must include works suitable for teaching beginners and contain balanced shares of the following content:
Teaching Repertoire:
a) Violin tutors
b) Technical exercises
c) Etudes
d) Books with pedagogically or didactically relevant content
Performance Repertoire:
The candidate’s performance repertoire should include works of various eras and formal genres.
Examination Structure:
This examination consists of two parts:
1) an oral/rhetorical part, and
2) a teaching demonstration together with a student.
Regarding 1): the candidate is permitted to begin the examination by discussing a topic of their own choosing that relates to the provided work list, speaking spontaneously (not reading!).
The examination committee will then ask questions pertaining to further works on the candidate’s list; the answers to these must likewise be spontaneous.
Regarding 2): the candidate should give a demonstration of their teaching conceived to represent not an entire violin lesson but rather an emphasis appropriate to the level of the participating pupil and the material used in the teaching demonstration.
One’s chosen artistic programme must be made available in printed form at the examination.
Exam duration: ca. 45 minutes