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 

Russian Art in the Silver Age | Carnegie Hall

via carnegiehall.org

1-day Seminar Oct 1: Intro to Opera

Opera is paradoxically the most grandiose and most human of genres. We will analyze opera’s Italianate origins in the Baroque masterpieces of Monteverdi and Handel, the pathos of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, the mix of fantasy and profundity in _The Magic Flute_6, and Beethoven’s socially conscious Fidelio, followed by bel canto masterpieces and works of Verdi and Puccini from the Italian repertory. We will savor recordings by opera’s great singers such as Callas, Bjoerling, Sills, Domingo, Hapmson, and Borodina, as well as view opera productions on DVD.

Register online here.