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NSW Curriculum
NSW Education Standards Authority

11–12Music 2 11–12 Syllabus (2025)

Implementation from 2027
Expand for detailed implementation advice

Content

Year 11

Music of Western art traditions 1

Students perform, compose, listen, analyse and respond to music from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, composed between 1600 and 1900. Through the study of selected repertoire, students develop their aural and analytical knowledge, understanding and skills, and learn about the development and use of Music language within the contexts, styles and practices of these periods.

Students study a minimum of THREE contrasting works in detail, from a range of styles and genres, with at least one work from each of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. Students develop their knowledge and understanding of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic content, structural and textural devices, and Compositional language used by composers to construct musical ideas and shape musical meaning.

Performing
  • Perform compositions and arrangements of solo and ensemble repertoire from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods with technical and expressive control

  • Apply stylistic conventions to the interpretation of Baroque, Classical and Romantic repertoire

  • Apply period-appropriate interpretation of phrasing, ornamentation and performance directions to vocal and instrumental practices

Listening, analysing and responding
  • Identify and transcribe melodic, harmonic and rhythmic patterns in music from different stylistic periods

  • Describe melodic, harmonic, rhythmic patterns, structural and textural devices in scores and recordings of Baroque, Classical and Romantic music

  • Analyse the development of musical ideas using Compositional and Notational language to shape musical intent

  • Interpret familiar and unfamiliar scores and recorded performances using Music language

Creating and composing
  • Arrange short musical excerpts for small ensembles using diatonic harmony in major and minor keys, including triads, inversions, dominant sevenths and secondary sevenths

  • Apply melodic and harmonic content to the creation of musical ideas, including diatonic and chromatic harmony

  • Create melodies and accompaniment for voices and instruments using harmonic content, cadences and textural conventions from distinct stylistic periods

  • Create accompanied pieces for specific combinations of voices and instruments

  • Apply structural and textural conventions to arrangements of musical ideas

  • Create scores applying Compositional and Notational language to convey dynamics, articulation and expression

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