Upcoming Graham School Classes: Some Suggested PreparationBy April 1, syllabi will be available for Tuesday’s Baroque, Wednesday’s Beethoven, and Thursday’s Dvorak class, on this site. I regret that I do not get these syllabi up earlier, but I prepare up to the very last minute and things don’t come fully into focus until the 11th hour…partially because I never use old syllabi, formats, or readings, but re-think every class I give, even standard “Life and Works” classes that I’ve taught many times. For some, my lack of rigid adherence to a given syllabus is problematical, but others prefer spontaneity and flexibility; probably it is best to steer something like a middle course.
Registration Open for Spring 2008 ClassesIâve just added pages for Johnâs Spring 2008 Classes. There are three classes: Music of the Baroque Era (Tuesdays), Life and Works of Beethoven (Wednesdays), and Dvorak and the Rise of Musical Nationalism (Thursdays). Syllabus and recommended books, etc. will follow very soon.
A New (Old) Approach to BachThe last time I taught a Bach class there were raised eyebrows when I used recordings of the major choral works conducted by Furtwangler (Matthew Passion), Klemperer (Matthew Passion as well) and Karajan (b minor mass). There may even have been a few smirks. Why did I use these recordings? Am I so out of touch? I used them because they are better than the recordings by Harnoncourt and Gardiner.