DEPT. FINE ARTS
In the department of Fine Arts students will be challenged throughout the offerings which provide substantial laboratory activities. This hands-on approach to learning trains students in the fundamental skills of art-making while opening up possibilities to engage and interact in the artistic community and establish an important presence in the field. Studios are fully equipped for painting, sculpture, and drawing and students will have access to materials, molds and still-life objects at in order to reach their objectives freely and creatively under qualified and professional guidance from the professors. The end of each course will culminate a public exhibition showcasing the student's art work.
Music Courses
Photography Courses
Studio Art Courses
Music Courses
DFA-MIC/1010 - The History of Western MusicA view of the primary figures, genres and events that mark the history of music in Western Civilization. Through a study
of motets, madrigals, masses, and other genres, we will distinguish between the roles that sacred and secular music have
played. There will follow a view of the classical, romantic, impressionist and modern periods, with focus on composers of
stature, such as Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Wagner, Verdi, Puccini, and Stravinsky. The course closes with a
discussion of how twentieth-century popular forms such as jazz and rock have both derived from prior forms and contributed to
the development of Western music.
Prerequisite: None
DFA-MIC/1020 - Music History I
Study of key musical structures from the 18th to the 19th century (Fugue, Prelude, Sonata, Variation, etc.) through the
understanding of the principal elements of musical language (Theme, Phrases, Time, Harmonic progressions of tension and
distension, etc.) with musical examples played by the professor on the piano. Particular attention will be given to the
listening and analysis of the works of Bach, Baroque music and its various nuances, classical works (Hayden, Mozart and
Beethoven) and the Romantic period (Chopin, Schumann, Liszt and Brahms). In addition, some of the composer's works studied
throughout the course will be performed in Torino theaters, providing an opportunity to listen and analyze the music at
concert performances.
Prerequisites: None
This course uses the same teaching method as the first course in the sequence, continuing the chronological journey of
music history from the 20th century up to the modern day. It analyzes the key tendencies that accompany or determine the
disappearance of great musical traditions from Central Europe, the French School (Ravel and Debussy), to the Second Viennese
School (Berg, Webern, Shoenberg) and the Russian School (Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Sostakovich). It will follow the
description of the basic ideals that brought a new form to the language of music after the Second World War, seen through the
Darmstadt experience, we shall pay particular attention to the figures of Boulez, Stockhausen and Ligeti, up to the
exploration of the diverse directions of music in today's world. In addition, the works of some of the artists and composers
studied in the course will be performed at the International Festival of Contemporary Music (MITO) in Torino, where students
will be able to listen and analyze the music at the concert performances.
Prerequisite: DFA-MIC/1020 - Music History I
The violin is one of the symbolic instruments in Western music. Its invention is attributed to the Italian, Gasparo da
Salò. Giovan Battista Guadagnini, one of Stradivari's students and the best in traditional violin craftsmanship, moved to
Torino in the late seventeenth century. This led to a flourishing violin school in Piemonte that produced some of the
greatest violinists and composers (Polledro, Viotti) and prestigious artisans, who still maintain that the oldest surviving
violin in Europe originated in Piemonte. In this course students will discuss history of the Piemonte violin school, which
ended in the nineteenth century, and will include meetings with important Piemontese artisans and violinists. Students will
understand the instrument's characteristics and the issues regarding its use and restoration - a true living work of art.
Prerequisites: None
This course will familiarize the student with the fundamentals of piano playing. It will begin with the basic concepts of
music theory (notes, scales, keys, intervals, etc.) which will aid the student in attempting and mastering elementary pieces
of piano literature. Though emphasis is placed on classical repertoire, students may apply this knowledge to other musical
forms such as jazz, rock and blues. A brief history of the instrument will also be a part of the course.
Prerequisite: None
The aim of this course is to familiarize the student with the fundamental scales, chords and progressions in order to play
any genre of popular guitar music. It will begin with basic hand and finger positions and eventually cover chords and scales.
A historical outline of the instrument throughout the years will also be covered. Many listenings will be included in this
course.
Prerequisite: None
A course for students with or without prior experience in choral singing. Elementary music in Italian, English and foreign
texts will be sung and analyzed. Each lesson begins with warm-ups and voice training exercises, which will be held in both
small and full groups. This course will give each student the possibility to sing and participate in a choir, regardless of
vocal range or experience. A performance will be held for the SJIU student body at the end of the academic year.
Prerequisite: None
A study of the history of jazz, an original American art form which began in the early 20th century. The course follows
the development of Ragtime, Dixieland, New Orleans and Chicago Jazz, Swing, Bebop, Cool, Hard Bop, Fusion, Free Jazz, and
current modern trends in the United States and Europe. Through listening, analysis, and discussion, the course will examine
the theoretical and cultural evolution of Jazz. Of particular interest is the importance of improvisation as an expressive
and structural component of the art form. Some of the composers and performers examined in the course include Scott Joplin,
Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, and Wynton
Marsalis.
Prerequisite: None
A chronological survey of opera and musical theater. The course begins with the historical development of European opera
through an emphasis on Italian composers such as Rossini, Bellini, Verdi, and Puccini. Developments in modern opera are
viewed alongside the European tradition leading to the emergence of American and European musical theater. In addition to the
well-known opera composers, the course will examine the contemporary stage works of Stravinsky, Gershwin, Bernstein,
Sondheim, Glass, Webber and others. Attention is placed on the historical, sociological and aesthetic aspects of both opera
and musical stage works. Students will attend at least one stage performance as a part of the course.
Prerequisite: None
An ethnological approach to the study of music in which students are introduced to a variety of indigenous music from
around the world. The focus of the class is on non-Western music. This course is designed to expose the student to the
diversity of other cultures and to increase their sensibilities to cross-cultural influences that have emerged in
contemporary and modern music. The course investigation will include non-European classical music such as Japanese Koto
music, Hindustani raga music and Tibetan chants, as well as music of the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Central and South
America. Students are encouraged to share their particular ethnic knowledge of music, in order to enhance the diversity of
representation in the class.
Prerequisite: Permission of Advisor.
The course addresses key topics related to successfully operating in the music and show business. Students analyze all
aspects related to this industry such as, selecting the right team, the role of personal mangers, business managers, agents,
attorneys, copyrights and contracts, broad-strokes overview of the record business, advances and recoupment, real-life
numbers, producer and mixer deals, other major deal points, advanced record deal points, advanced royalty computations,
loan-out, independent production, label, and distribution deals, copyright basics, publishing companies and major, secondary
publishing income, songwriter deals, co-publishing and administration deals, advanced copyright concepts, tour merchandising,
retail merchandising, overview of motion picture music, fundraising, and sponsorship development, marketing, event
management, communication, and promotion strategies in the music business. Sustainability issues related to this industry.
Prerequisite: None
Beginning with the Romantic concept of the origin of the arts and culminating in the "Gesamtkunstwerk" project ("the
complete artwork") created by Richard Wagner - the course will analyze all the situations in which music is associated with
other forms of art, including architecture, from the Baroque period (Music "en plain air", Melodrama), to the Romantic Period
(Poetry in Music, known as German Lied Song, Program Music, etc.) to the 1900's, with the Creative School, music from films
and ambient music. There will be musical examples performed on the piano in class, as well as concert performances and
screenings of historic films at the Cinema Museum in Torino.
Prerequisite: None
The course will follow the birth and development of Melodrama, which arose in Italy between the 16th and 17th centuries.
In the 19th century Melodrama was a representative stage for the political and national aspirations of the people of Europe,
mirroring the dynamic relationships between the sexes and the struggle for power among between individuals and social
classes. This course will analyze the powerful work carried out by Richard Wagner and his important esthetic and ideological
implications for European culture, including the controversy with Nietzsche, which affected 20th century theater in part
characterized by the strong need for social criticism, present in the works of Janacek, Berg and Bernstein. A performance
piece will be chosen from the program from the Regio Theater, studying the screenplay, the text (drama analysis), music,
lyrics and scenography. Students will follow the preparation, stage design, set up and rehearsals of the orchestra,
performance ensemble, and final dress rehearsal in order to understand the complete planning process behind all the aspects
of successful theater performance.
Prerequisite: None
This course is intended for students who already have a developed knowledge of the piano, musicality and music theory. The
course will depart from a structured analysis of a musical piece in all aspects including: rhythm, melody, harmony and
formality. This analysis in turn will allow One to reach a communicative codification of musical content. Students will
attend in depth seminars by internationally renowned pianist; Roberto Prosseda, for example, who has brought into light the
unknown works of Mendelssohn. Throughout the course, we will focus on romantic repertoire, in particular, the relative themes
passing from the classical technique to the romantic period in a study of the works by Czerny, Chopin and Liszt as well as
the pieces from Schumann and Brahms.
Prerequisites: With permission and discretion from the professor.
This course is reserved for those students who already have a working knowledge of musical theory and voice and want to
develop those skills in the particular setting of the Italian School which bases itself on the natural release and the
perfections of pronunciation. This course will utilize the collaboration of a piano accompanist. In addition to attending
class seminars, student will have the opportunity to view rehearsals at Teatro Regio di Torino, currently, one of the most
prestigious and well known Italian lyric opera houses.
Prerequisite: Individual audition with instructor.
A creative exploration to creating, performing, and thinking about music using modern digital technologies. Students will
examine the various fields in which music and technology play an important role. Areas of focus include music composition,
film scoring, recording, editing, virtual orchestra, and interactive game music. The course emphasizes the relationship
between technical and artistic problem solving.
Prerequisite: Permission of advisor. Excellent computer skills.
Photography Courses
DFA-PHC/1010 - Introduction to PhotographyThis course will cover the works of pioneer photographers such as Niépce, Daguerre, Fox Talbot and others, the beginnings
of photography and its acceptance as an independent art form, the humanistic and aesthetic ideals of chosen photographers in
their cultural contexts and the contribution that photography has made to painting, sculpture, literature, cinema, music and
dance. It will also cover the use of the camera: technical knowledge combined with the aesthetic skills necessary for using
photography as a modern means of communication. At the end of the course the students will create their own photographic
album.
Prerequisite: None
This course provides students with the necessary photographic theory and camera skills required to practice.
Demonstrations of the fundamentals of black and white film developing and printing in the darkroom will be important, in
order to master basic technical and aesthetic photographic problems, such as composition, light and form. After this first
step, the course will concentrate on a full understanding of digital photography and how to use such images with digital
media. Lessons will cover the critical techniques of digital capture, film scanning, image processing, color management,
color correction and output options. Harnessing new technologies for personal expression will be encouraged. Students will be
required to have their own digital cameras for this course.
Prerequisite: None
The primary objective of this course is to prepare the students to use anthropological methods to recognize and analyze
ethno-photographic research documents produced by Italian scholars from the end of the 1800s until today. Ethno-photography
is a new and stimulating language in Italy, separate but complementary to verbal language. Focus will be given to both the
analysis of documentary sources produced by important photographers and anthropologists as well as on the methods and
practice of Italian ethno-anthropology.
Prerequisite: None
The course is a historical and critical foray into an understanding of the scientific function of visual culture in
society. From the prehistoric era to the present, images have been used for several reasons, in several contexts, and to
communicate different meanings. Focus is given to the evolution of image-supported media. The goal of the course is to
advance critical thinking about the production and use of images.
Prerequisite: DFA-PHC/1010 - Introduction to Photography.
An introduction to the relationship between words and images. Students are invited to select a topic in the history of
photography and to conduct individual research that brings their own critical thoughts to bear upon the relevant images. The
final product will be presented with a digital support, promoting the use of html language. This course will improve
students' familiarity with computer-based methods to manage and develop photographic images.
Prerequisite: DFA-PHC/1010 - Introduction to Photography.
The photographer/reporter is not only the war correspondent on the front line but also a geographical specialist for
tourism magazines or a news correspondent for show business and sports. Being a photographer/reporter involves learning to
tell stories about the world in which we live through images, using a more direct and arguably more effective instrument than
journalism. This course will allow students to experiment and apply to everyday life the ability to tell stories through
photography and to learn in a step-by-step fashion which journalistic language is most suitable for which specialization. It
will provide an overview of the history and the works of the most important photographers of this profession.
Prerequisite: DFA-PHC/1100 - Photo Imaging and DFA-PHC/2300 - Word and Image.
The course will focus on the theory and practice needed to plan, execute and present architectural photographs. Particular
emphasis will be put on the conduct of field trips and on the outdoor use of professional camera apparatuses.
Prerequisite: DFA-PHC/1010 - Introduction to Photography and DAP-AGC/1010 - Introduction to Architecture.
The student will produce a body of work that investigates One particular area of photographic practice: Commercial
Photography, Architectural Photography, Creative Advertising, Photographic Art Practices, Social and Anthropological
Photography and Photojournalism. The goal of this course is to develop an emerging critical vocabulary and investigative
approaches for this kind of visual research.
Prerequisite: students must possess a GPA of at least 3.00 and they must have obtained 60 credits.
Studio Art Courses
DFA-SAC/1010 - Beginning PaintingOffers students the elementary skills to draw and paint. Different techniques, media and methods will be taught.
Laboratory practice is the focal point of this course.
Prerequisite: None
A survey of the different techniques and media of painting: oil, tempera, water-color, gouache and others, as well as an
analysis of the materials used to paint and their history. A direct application of some of these techniques will complete
this seminar.
Prerequisite: None
A reflection on the techniques used to sculpt or shape different kind of materials. An exploration of the history of the
methods and tools of sculpture throughout the ages. This seminar will conclude by having students experiment with some of
these techniques, materials and methods.
Prerequisite: None
Introduction to draftsmanship; basic drawing techniques for the conceptual representation of interior space; perspective
and orthographic sketching techniques; introductory rendering skills; basic shade and shadow techniques; layout, proportion
and graphic weight.
Prerequisite: None
This course focuses developing the hand-eye connection inherent in drawing architectural forms. The principal concepts of
volume, depth, and surface will be introduced as they relate to the architectural subject. Students will draw churches and
buildings on site in Vinovo and Torino's many squares.
Prerequisite: not open to Freshmen
Ceramics have been tied to human activity and daily life since pre-historic times, and have evolved into a refined means
of artistic expression. This course takes a technical and practical approach to ceramics where students experiment with tools
and techniques. Students will also learn about the history of this medium.
Prerequisite: None
Set-design can be summarized as the "sum of the arts" because it combines painting, sculpture and architecture. In this
laboratory, students will gain hands-on experience in the planning and technical aspects that go into set design.
Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor.
Prerequisite: Permission of Advisor. Return to top
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