What to Listen for in Classical Music - Saturday November 10

This course examines the evolution of Western music from the Baroque era through the 20th century. Different parameters such as harmony, rhythm, and melody are concisely explained and examined in representative masterpieces drawn from eras, genres, and styles, including the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and Stravinsky among others. Rich historic context will be provided. This class will be a lively combination of lecture, analysis, and watching and listening. 

Registration and Information

Syllabus - Agenda for the day

I look forward to meeting some ‘regulars” and new students alike.

In the meantime, enjoy these inspirational quotes: 

“The very word classical connotes something of lasting value, something conceived with certain standards in mind. This has led some people to slap an “elitist” label onto such music. But that’s a cheap shot. Although it is best appreciated, most deeply understood, by those who study it in some details, it is essentially accessible to anyone with open ears. And the act of listening is a very important part of this art form. Despite its use in shopping malls and hotel lobbies, most classical music is intended to be foreground, not background; it wants to be front and center, not piped-in.” – Tim Smith in The NPR Curious Listener’s Guide to Classical Music

“Opera is all around us — hundreds of hours’ worth on YouTube alone — and there is no excuse not to take part in it. It still requires some commitment to knowledge and it rarely has a beat, but there’s just so much of Lady Gaga a human being can enjoy/tolerate without needing to be touched in a slightly deeper place.” – Robert Levine in Weep, Shudder, Die: A Guide to Loving Opera

Tchaikovsky 1-Day Seminar July 14

It’s that time again, when we gather to enjoy a full day exploring a single topic. This time: Tchaikovsky.

Description:

With his profound melodic gift, Tchaikovsky entranced audience after audience and provided us with a living soundtrack for 19th century Russia. This course will give Tchaikovsky his due as a Russian nationalist and reveal how gracefully he navigated between the sometimes rough-hewn Slavocentrism of his contemporaries and the technical demands of Western cosmopolitanism.

More Information - Registration

See the Agenda

Beethoven Seminar Tomorrow!

My quarterly one-day seminar is upon us! This time it’s Beethoven. I look forward to seeing some regulars and new faces.

Read the syllabus

This course will examine the evolution of Beethoven’s music; in addition to the music itself, we will focus on the sociological, political, and philosophical interactions between Beethoven’s work and the turbulent events of his era, such as the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars. Ultimately, the course aims to foster the acquisition of a deep sense of context for the listener, and to provide students with the skills and strategies needed for a deeper understanding of serious music.

Register here.

20th Century Music Class

Welcome! Our class begins Thursday, March 29. The syllabus is here. 

Welcome, Mozart Class

Good morning!

Our syllabus for the Mozart class is here.

2012 Winter Courses Start This Week

Very brief reminder - The first music class at Gleacher Center starts Tuesday, January 10th!

Schubert

The great pianist Alfred Brendel called Schubert “the most immediately moving of composers.” Poised between the rationality of the classical era and the fantastical imaginativeness of the ensuing generation, Schubert was uniquely equipped to combine intense subjectivity and raw emotional power with an exhilarating mastery of form and detail. We will examine his intimate masterpieces as well as his monumental song cycles, assorted lieder and chamber works, and the large-scale grandeur of the late symphonies. This course will explore these and related works and topics with listening, analysis, and historical commentary. 
1/10/2012 - 2/28/2012
Tuesday 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM 
Register Here 

Cultural Moscow and St. Petersburg in the Age of Realism

 Russia in the mid-19th-century was a turbulent place where political upheaval created a synergy between art and politics. As Russia grew larger and more industrialized, revolutionary movements such as the Decemberists, the Petrashevists, and the Freedom Group challenged czarist rule. We will study the writings of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky and consider how discussions of social issues were often disguised to avoid censorship. Composers such as Mussorgsky invented a new and completely Russian idiom, while figures such as Tchaikovsky and Rubenstein reconciled the burgeoning Russian artistic identity with Western practices.
1/12/2012 - 3/1/2012
Thursday 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Register Here

J.S. Bach - One Day Seminar

This daylong seminar explores the hallmark of Bach’s achievement: the unique marriage of consummate craftsmanship and intense spirituality. We will examine the depth and complexity of a wide variety of his works, including preludes and fugues for the keyboard, concerti, and masses. We will discuss his phenomenal virtuosity, the sometimes surprising duties of a Kapellmeister, and his often contentious relationship with his contemporaries among the nobility and clergy. Finally, we will consider the impact of his tremendous legacy on subsequent composers.
3/10/2012
Saturday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Register Here