Song, Power, and Identity: Reclaiming Truths

Undergraduate

This performance-based seminar invites singers and pianists to critically engage with the sociopolitical dimensions of the Western classical canon. Through a contemporary lens, students deconstruct 19th-century German Lieder and French Mélodie, identifying the misogynistic and homophobic tropes embedded in their foundational texts. The course challenges performers to balance historical performance practice with their own artistic integrity and social values. Mid-semester, the focus shifts to the 21st century. Students study and perform works, some by LGBTQ+ and gender-marginalized composers and poets, that offer inclusive alternatives to traditional narratives. The term culminates in a curated class concert where students pair "problematic" historical works with contemporary responses, demonstrating a mastery of inclusive programming and social relevance in the modern concert space. Potential Repertoire Includes: Historical: Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin, Schumann’s Dichterliebe and Frauen-Liebe und Leben, and settings by Gabriel Fauré. Contemporary: Katherine Balch’s Estrangement, and works by Caroline Shaw, Nico Muhly, Jennifer Higdon, and John Harbison. Music reading proficiency and previous experience solo performing, either as singer or pianist. HU W 1:30pm-3:25pm