Topics in the History of European and American Music

4 credits · Undergraduate

This course is intended, above all else, to create the circumstances in which we will each independently develop as intimate a relationship as we can with Beethoven’s music. With an open mind and a bit of application, we ought to become well-acquainted with several of his compositions, extremely friendly with others, and perhaps even head over heals in love with a couple of them. We’ll be seeking to understand this music through attentive listening and close technical description, but also by looking at the historical environments in which it was composed, performed, and heard. For that reason, we’re going to take a roughly chronological route through Beethoven’s life and works.