Fundamental subjects (Bachelor)
ITALIAN LANGUAGE
Foreign candidates who successfully pass their main subjects examinations and auditions are required to take an ONLINE Italian Language test.
Exam calendar is published HERE.
Both written and oral tests will take place by online meetings on Zoom®; candidates who successfully pass their main subjects examinations and auditions will receive invitations via email.
FUNDAMENTAL SUBJECTS
Candidates who successfully pass their main subject examinations and auditions are also required to take entrance exams in four fundamental subjects: Sight Reading and Ear Training, Harmony and Analysis, Music History, and Piano Practice.
Exam calendar is published HERE.
CERTIFICATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Candidates with final preacademic certification in one or more fundamental subjects issued by an Italian Conservatorio, Istituto Musicale Pareggiato or equivalent acknowledged EU institution will have to take exams for uncertified subjects only. For any certifications issued by non-EU institutions, the candidate must provide appropriate documentation, accompanied by certified translation, stating not only the names of the subjects, but also the program actually carried out in each of them. This documentation must be received by the Secretariat by April 30th 2023 and if positively evaluated, will allow the exemption in one or more fundamental subject exams.
DEBTS AND REMEDIAL COURSES
ENROLLMENT WITH REMEDIAL COURSE(S)
Eligible candidates with minor debts in Fundamental subjects can enroll as regular students (depending on availability for each Course) and will have to attend one or more remedial courses in order to fill formative gaps by the end of the first academic year (i.e. winter session of next a.y., Mar 2025 for studentes enrolled in a.y. 2023/2024), otherwise they will be dismissed.
ENROLLMENT AS CORSO SINGOLO CON DEBITI (SINGLE SUBJECT WITH REMEDIAL COURSES)
If formation gaps related to Italian language and Fundamental subjects are so wide to compromise the academic curriculum, the student is given the opportunity to enroll as Single subject with remedial courses. An examination board appointed by the Director will take into account the results for each student.
Students with severe linguistic debt and Fundament subjects debt will attend:
- Italian language remedial course (annual course, compulsory attendance)
- Main subject
- Eartraining and/or Piano practice remedial course(s) (if needed)
If History of music and/or harmony remedial courses are needed, the student may access them only starting on the next a.y. after filling the Italian language gap.
Students with severe debts other than Language will attend:
- Italian language strenghtening course (annual course, compulsory attendance, only for foreign students and only if needed)
- Main subject
- One or more Remedial courses according to the exam's result.
Students enrolled as Single subject with remerdial courses must fill formative gaps by the end of the first ACTUAL academic year (i.e. Feb/Mar 2026 for studentes enrolled in a.y. 2023/2024 as Single subject with remerdial courses and 2024/25 as first ACTUAL academic year), otherwis they will be dismissed.
FURTHER INFORMATION
You can also get in touch with Counseling services at Conservatorio. Please send an email to our Counsellor at: tutor@conservatorio.pr.it
FUNDAMENTAL SUBJECTS PROGRAMS
SIGHT READING AND EARTRAINING
Candidates for admission of Lyric Singing Course
1. music trascription from a recorded track. Candidates will have to complete the missing parts of a partial transcription or accurately describe the music in connection with its melodic, rhythmic and harmonic aspects
2. music theory questions related to the trascription
3. rhythmic sight reading (one and two parts)
4. sight singing, with rhythmic variants on the same melodic line
5. sight singing on ancient clefs
Candidates for admission of Jazz and Pop Bachelors Courses
1. music trascription from a recorded track. Candidates will have to complete the missing parts of a partial transcription or accurately describe the music in connection with its melodic, rhythmic and harmonic aspects
2. chords and harmonic intervals identification (played at the piano)
3. rhythmic sight reading (one part)
4. sight singing
All other candidates
1. music trascription from a recorded track. Candidates will have to complete the missing parts of a partial transcription or accurately describe the music in connection with its melodic, rhythmic and harmonic aspects
2. music theory questions related to the dictation track
3. chords and harmonic intervals identification (played at the piano)
4. rhythmic sight reading (one and two parts)
5. sight singing, with rhythmic variants on the same melodic line
6. sight singing on ancient clefs
Teoria e Solfeggio certification (Traditional instrumentalists courses) is acknowledged.
HARMONY AND ANALYSIS
Written test
Harmony test (max duration: 3 hours)
Oral test
Analysis of one fugue presented by the candidate.
Discussion concerning harmony subjects (modules I-VII) and analysis subjects (modules I-IV) from Syllabus di armonia e analisi.
Cultura musicale generale biennal certification (Traditional courses), compimento medio di Organo e composizione organistica and compimento inferiore di Composizione (Traditional courses) are acknowledged.
HISTORY OF MUSIC
1) History of music core concepts:
a) periodization b) oral/written traditions, handwritten/printed music, monody/poliphony, modality/tonality, syllabic/melismatic style
2) Classical heritage in western music. The musical conceptions of the Greeks: ethos, Pitagora and sound/number relationship, spheres harmony, Greek tragedy.
3) The Christian sacred music, Gregorian chant and Middle age secular singing. The birth of music writing. Guido of Arezzo.
4) Birth and development of polyphony from the School of Notre-Dame to the XV century. Ars nova in France and Italy: Machault and Landini. Franco-Flemish composers in Europe: Dufay, Ockeghem, Desprez.
5) XVI century: the madrigal and the search for an expressive integration between text and music. Luca Marenzio and Carlo Gesualdo. Claudio Monteverdi and Seconda pratica. Sacred music: Palestrina and the Gabrielis. Development of instrumental music. Voices and instruments during Renaissance.
6) The birth of Opera and musical dramaturgy: Court Opera vs. Impresario Opera. Claudio Monteverdi and Venetian Opera. Italian Opera structural features: libretto and drama: aria and recitativo.
7) Music and drama in France: from ballet de cour to tragédie lyrique by Lully and Rameau: air et récit.
8) Ballet in instrumental music during the XVI and XVII century: the Suite. Frescobaldi: emancipation of instrumental music through the expression of affects. Development of Concerto from Corelli to Vivaldi.
9) Opera seria and Opera buffa during the XVIII century. Italian Opera abroad. Wien: Zeno, Metastasio, Calzabigi and Gluck, Salieri, Da Ponte and Mozart. The Singspiel.
10) Johann Sebastian Bach, Friedrich Handel, Domenico Scarlatti.
11) From Galant style to Classicism: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
12) Franz Schubert. Romantic composers: Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt.
13) The late XIX century: Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler.
14) XIX century Opera in Italy and Europe: Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti. Structural features of the early nineteenth century Opera. Giuseppe Verdi.
15) German Opera: Richard Wagner.
Bibliography (one chosen)
D. J. GROUT, Storia della musica in Occidente, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1984 e rist.
E. SURIAN, Manuale di Storia della musica, voll. I-IV, Milano, Rugginenti, 1991- e rist.
M. CARROZZO – C. CIMAGALLI, Storia della musica occidentale, voll. I- II, Roma, Armando, 1997- 98 e rist.
P. FABBRI – M.C. BERTIERI, Musica e società, vol. I, Milano, Mc Graw Hill, 2012
Storia ed estetica musicale final certification (Traditional courses and Pre-academic courses) are acknowledged.
PIANO PRACTICE
Candidates can choose to play pieces from solo piano or piano 4-hands or piano and voice/other instrument literature as follows:
1) a free program (at least 10')
OR
2) three pieces taken from different musical eras (no minimum lenght).
In case of duo repertoire, candidates must be accompanied by another student.
Commission may decide to listen to the whole program or to a part of it and to interrupt executions at any time.
Pianoforte complementare triennal or quadriennal Italian certification (Traditional courses) is acknowledged.
Candidates for admission of the following Bachelors courses are exempt from piano practice test: Accordion, Classic guitar, Coaching, Harp, Harpsichord and historical keyboards, Jazz piano, Lute, Organ and composition for organ, Piano, Pop keyboards, Vocal chamber music for pianists.
Candidates for admission of the following Bachelor courses will take the Score reading test together with the main subject audition: Choir conducting and choral composition, Composition, Conducting, Orchestration for wind orchestra.
FUNDAMENTAL SUBJECTS TESTS SPECIMENS
Here you can download some tests specimens, in order to better understand the difficulty level for each fundamental subject: