Course Descriptions Survey Appreciation
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Course
EVDOL 010
Title
Music Orientation
Instructor
Scott Eyerly
Description
Music Orientation is perhaps the most important
course the Evening Division offers. This class enhances your enjoyment
of classical music by giving you a deeper understanding of what
you are hearing. It teaches you how to “listen better,” to
appreciate how a piece is put together, and to recognize the musical
characteristics of different periods. It offers, in one semester,
a general music history; easy-to-understand explanations of those
mysterious terms you see in program notes; and illustrations of
common musical concepts. Frequent use of recordings, in-class
discussions, and occasional guests will add to your enjoyment,
whether you’re
a novice or longtime concert-goer. Music Orientation is not to
be confused with the Music History class, which is an intensive
course requiring critical listening and music analysis.
Duration
A one-semester (13-week) course
Date
Section 1 Begins September 8 (fall); January 26
(spring)
Section 2 Begins September 10 (fall);
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 024
Title
The Music of Béla Bartók
Instructor
Michael White
Description
Béla Bartók is recognized today as
one of the greatest 20th-century composers, whose influence on instrumental
music written in the last 50 years is unquestioned. Yet, when he
died in New York in 1945, he and his music were basically unknown
in this country. This class will focus first on Bartók’s
early years, when he concentrated on investigating, collecting,
and analyzing folk music, initially from his beloved homeland, Hungary,
and eventually from the entire Balkan Peninsula. This intense research,
accomplished over many years, was the starting point for almost
every masterpiece written in his later years. We will also focus
on the genre for which Bartók is most praised by musicians
and audiences alike: the string quartet. It is generally accepted
today that his six quartets are the natural descendants of Beethoven’s
late works in the same medium. Finally, we will turn our attention
to the final 10 years of Bartók’s life, when the influence
of J.S. Bach and Neo-Classicism radically altered his compositional
style. The major works of this period include Music for Strings,
Percussion, and Celesta; the Third Piano Concerto; the Sixth Quartet;
the Concerto for Orchestra, and finally, the unfinished Viola Concerto.
The ability to read music is highly recommended.
Duration
13 weeks - fall semester only
Date
Begins September 9
On
Tuesdays
Time
Section : 5:30-7 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 040 Sections 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday)
Closed
Title
World of the Piano
Instructor
David Dubal
Description
One of the Evening Division’s most popular
courses, the World of the Piano is a lively class that includes
performances by guest artists, interviews with the artists, intensive
discussions on the music, and great recordings from the golden age
of piano playing. A fascinating feature is the comparison of performances
of notable masterpieces.
Duration
A one-semester (13-week) course
Date
Section 1: Begins September 10 (fall); January 28
(spring)
Section 2: Begins September 11 (fall); January 29 (spring)
Section 3: Begins January 27 (spring)
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 022–023
Title
Beethoven String Quartets
Instructor
Kendall Durelle Briggs
Description
Beethoven’s 16 string quartets stand firmly
among the greatest ever written. They were composed over the course
of his impressive musical career and, as such, follow his compositional
changes and developments. His growth can be seen in the handling
of the four individual instruments; the change in his concept of
architecture and form; and finally, in his struggle with deafness
and how it affected the dramatic nature of his musical ideas. This
course will focus on a discussion of Beethoven’s life and
character and their effects on his development of the string quartet.
We will also cover the evolution of the string quartet as a genre,
looking at musical and social influences as they pertain to Beethoven’s
world and how they shaped his compositional process and choices.
Comparison with his symphonies, sonatas, and other works will be
discussed in order to give the student a clearer view of the quartets
in the context of his overall output. Finally, because Beethoven’s
quartets influenced nearly every composer who followed, select quartets
by subsequent composers will be discussed and compared. Students
are encouraged to purchase scores of the complete quartets, as they
will be the basis of the course. The ability to read music and
follow a score is highly recommended.
Duration
A two-semester (26-week) course
Date
Begins September 8 (fall); January 26 (spring)
On
Mondays
Time
5:30–7 p.m.
Cost
$410 per semester
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 041
Title
The Classical Concerto
Instructor
Mortimer Frank
Description
One of the miracles of the Classical era was the
way in which composers of the period fused the solo-tutti contrast
of the Baroque concerto with the newly evolving principles of sonata
structure. This fusion produced the Classical concerto—a genre
that remained sufficiently flexible to endure for more than a century.
Mozart was, perhaps, its consummate master, but Beethoven, Mendelssohn,
Schumann, and Brahms adapted its features to their own needs, modifying
the genre while honoring its tradition by preserving its essential
features. Exploring major concertos for both piano and violin, this
course will offer analyses of how these composers embraced the Classical
style while leaving their stamp of individuality upon it. Multiple
recordings of individual works will be used to illustrate divergent
interpretations.
Duration
13 weeks - fall semester only
Date
Begins September 10
On
Wednesdays
Time
5:45–7:15 p.m.
Cost
$410 per semester
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 026
Title
The Great Duke Ellington
Instructor
Loren Schoenberg
Description
Duke Ellington was one of the great 20th-century
American composers, regardless of genre; yet his name is rarely
mentioned in that regard outside of the jazz world. His songs Mood
Indigo, It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That
Swing), In a Sentimental Mood, and Sophisticated Lady are well known,
but he also wrote many extended symphonic compositions which he
premiered at Carnegie Hall, including the legendary Black, Brown,
and Beige. This course will place Ellington in the musical and social
contexts from which he emerged. Over the course of 50 years, Ellington
continued to grow as a composer, a bandleader, and a pianist. We
will examine in detail his band and his music through the use of
recordings, film (including a rare short film with Joan Miró),
and interviews with Ellington and his musicians.
Duration
10 weeks - fall semester only
Date
Begins September 18
On
Thursdays
Time
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Cost
$310 per semester
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 064
Title
Charles Ives: His Mind, His Music, His America
Instructor
Stuart Feder
Description
The music of Charles Ives, perhaps the quintessential
20th-century American composer, draws heavily on his boyhood experiences
in a small New England town. Through his close relationship with
his father, a Civil War bandmaster, Ives developed a powerful feeling
for 19th-century rural America that he expressed in an innovative
20th-century musical idiom. This course will explore the enduring
nature of his childhood experiences; the double career of the composer-businessman;
and the ways in which the people, places, and things dear to the
composer influenced his musical style. All of Ives’s major
compositions will be considered, with special emphasis on the songs.
His considerable prose writings and their relationship to his music
will also be discussed. The course will be illustrated with recorded
musical and graphic materials, and videos. A syllabus, reading list
(optional) and recommendations for listening will be provided. This
in-depth study of the life and music of Charles Ives is offered
by Dr. Stuart Feder, a psychoanalyst and musicologist who has published
two books on Ives. Technical knowledge of music is helpful but
not required.
Duration
13 weeks - fall semester only
Date
Begins September 8
On
Mondays
Time
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Cost
$410 per semester
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDIV 020-1
Title
Music History
Instructor
Anthony Netz
Description
The six main style periods of Western music history—medieval,
Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th century—will
be charted. Students will learn how to identify musical styles with
respect to their defining harmonies, rhythms, melodies, and forms.
The music is placed in the larger cultural context from which it
arose, with references to political and historical events. The fall
semester focuses on the medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.
The spring semester will focus on the Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century
periods. The ability to read music is helpful for the course.
Duration
A two-semester (28-week) course
Date
Begins September 10 (fall); January 14 (spring)
On
Wednesdays
Time
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Cost
$410 per semester
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 011
Title
The Elements of Music
Instructor
Kendall Durelle Briggs
Description
This course is designed for those students who desire
to follow a score and understand its musical concepts. Students
will learn visual recognition in treble and bass clefs of key signatures;
note names; major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor modes; triads;
and musical terminology. Students who wish to have a more intensive
beginning course in theory should attend the Introduction to Literature
and Materials of Music.
Duration
A one-semester (13-week) course
Date
Begins September 9 (fall); January 27 (spring)
On
Tuesdays
Time
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 043
Title
The World of Chopin and Liszt
Instructor
Edith Cornfield
Description
The Romantic period, which extended across the 19th
century, produced monumental achievements in every genre, including
the symphony, chamber music, opera, and perhaps, above all, music
for the piano. No two composers of this era left their marks on
the piano repertoire more than Frederic Chopin and Franz Liszt,
whose glorious music we examine in this class. We will explore the
elegance and poetry of Chopin through a study of the Polonaises,
Scherzos, Ballades, Etudes, and Preludes. The virtuoso style of
Liszt will be sampled through the Transcendental Etudes,
his tone poems for the piano collectively titled The Years of
Pilgrimage: Switzerland and Italy, as well as his late works
which point the way to Debussy. Orchestral works of both composers
will also be covered.
Duration
13 weeks - spring semester only
Date
Begins January 28
On
Wednesdays
Time
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 032
Title
A Quartet of Pairs
Instructor
John Muller
Description
This course will re-evaluate the traditional pairings
of Bach-Handel, Haydn-Mozart, Bruckner-Mahler, and Debussy-Ravel.
Although each composer in the twosome shares general musical traits,
closer examination will reveal individual “stylistic
fingerprints.” In order to gain a deeper understanding of
these differences, will study a variety of musical elements, such
as harmony, melodic character, and counterpoint. A comparative study
of works will reveal different responses to similar compositional
challenges. Aspects of biography and career will also be considered,
as well as any personal contact the composers may have had with
one another.
Duration
13 weeks - fall semester only
Date
Begins September 10
On
Wednesdays
Time
5:30–7 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 025
Title
The World of Beethoven
Instructor
Edith Cornfield
Description
Few classical composers have enjoyed a more global
and enthusiastic following than Beethoven. As a musical embodiment
of the Age of Enlightenment, he towers over the other composers
of his era, and throws a long shadow over those who follow. As a
student of Haydn and inspirer of Brahms, Wagner, and numerous other
composers, Beethoven linked the classical past to the modern present.
The man, the music, and his times are the focus of this course,
as seen through all nine symphonies, selected concertos, and piano
sonatas. Visual guidelines are provided to enable the students who
do not read music to follow the music in depth.
Duration
13 weeks - fall semester only
Date
Begins September 10
On
Wednesdays
Time
6 – 7:30 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 012
Title
Women Composers
Instructor
Vivian Fung
Description
The music of women composers is not often addressed
in music history survey courses. However, the past 20 years have
seen a surge of interest in the repertoire of women composers. Works
by women are now available in modern editions and on recordings,
and biographies of women composers, performers, and scholars are
burgeoning. This course will examine the musical achievements of
women composers as well as the historical contexts that have shaped
and defined their artistic development. The class will present biographies
of outstanding women composers; offer analyses and performances
of representative compositions; and provide examples of women’s
music from all periods including medieval chants, Renaissance song,
opera, German Lieder, chamber music, jazz/folk music, and compositions
by prominent women of our era. The course will include guest performers
and lecturers who specialize in the work of women composers, and
may include discussion of New York concerts focusing on the works
of women.
Duration
8 weeks - spring semester only
Date
Begins January 26
On
Mondays
Time
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Cost
$250
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 029
Title
Toscanini at NBC
Instructor
Mortimer Frank
Description
Toscanini’s 17 years at NBC (1937-1954) are
unique for several reasons: They comprised the longest professional
association of his unprecedented 68-year career, fostered an orchestra
created expressly for him and for radio, and have been documented
in sonically excellent transcriptions that preserve all 231 of his
NBC Symphony broadcasts. Drawing upon these commercially unavailable
transcriptions and on videos of Toscanini telecasts, this course
will offer a detailed profile of his NBC career. His interpretive
style will be analyzed and compared to that of some of his most
celebrated peers. In so doing, a number of ill-judged generalizations
about his work made in recent years will be challenged. Attention
will also be paid to major scores that Toscanini performed but never
recorded for commercial release.
Duration
8 weeks - fall semester only
Date
Begins September 18
On
Thursdays
Time
5:45–7:15 p.m.
Cost
$250
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 013
Title
Music and the Movies
Instructor
Ricardo Llorca
Description
Music has been an integral part of cinema since its
beginnings. For the serious composer, writing music for motion pictures
offers opportunities not only for artistic stimulation but also
for earning a livelihood through composition. This class will present
a chronological overview of the most important films from the 1930s
through the present. Using historical examples, reviews of film
scores, and discussion of compositional techniques, we will explore
almost all aspects of the fascinating world of film music. We will
look at current practices in the industry, with special focus on
the advent of digital audio and videotape tech-nology with regard
to their applications in the post-production process. We will also
make a critical analysis of film music by listening to the works
of such noteworthy composers as Nino Rota (Amarcord; La Dolce
Vita); Henry Mancini (Breakfast at Tiffany’s);
Max Steiner (King Kong); and Bernard Herrmann (Citizen
Kane; Psycho). Contemporary scores by composers such as John
Corigliano (The Red Violin) and John Williams (Schindler’s
List) will also be explored. The class is intended for musicians
as well as those with no musical background.
Duration
13 weeks - spring semester only
Date
Begins January 29
On
Thursdays
Time
5:45–7:15 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 063
Title
Understanding the Music Business
Instructor
Greg Knowles
Description
As a performer or composer, your interaction with
music publishers, managers, concert promoters, producers, record
labels, agents, lawyers, and publicists is a vital part of your
music education. It is necessary for performers or composers to
understand phrases such as, “we’ll give you 50 percent
of the writer’s share of the mechanicals.” All musicians
must be aware of what each professional in the industry does, what
the standards and practices are, and how they will shape your performing
or composing career. This course will include the preparation of
promo packages, demo tapes, and analysis of contracts.
Duration
8 weeks - fall semester only
Date
Begins September 15
On
Mondays
Time
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Cost
$250
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 035
Title
Poetry and Music—The Art Song
Instructor
James Kurtz
Description
The art song, perhaps classical music’s most
intimate genre, was originally intended for performance in the
home rather than in large public spaces. The perfect synthesis
of poetry and music, the art song is distinct for its extraordinary
balance between voice and piano. The Lied developed in 19th-century
Germany and Austria with the appearance of a new Romantic poetry
whose central themes of personal, individual feeling appealed to
the rapidly expanding educated classes. With composers eager to
compose songs and audiences eager to sing and hear them, the Lied
became one of the most important chamber genres of the time. Under
the influence of the Lied, an indigenous art song known as Mélodie
developed somewhat later in 19th-century France, with the simultaneous
growth of the Symbolist movement in poetry. In both the Lied and
Mélodie we start with the poetry, often of very high quality,
wedded to music by composers who responded to the texts with great
sensitivity. These composers would frequently set to song the texts
of a single poet: Schubert with Goethe; Schumann with Heine; Wolf
with Mörike; Fauré and Debussy with Verlaine; Poulenc
with Appolinaire. This course will consider song cycles by these
masters and the poetry that inspired them. We will closely examine
the relationship between words and music, and between voice and
piano.
Duration
13 weeks - spring semester only
Date
Begins January 29
On
Thursdays
Time
5:30-7:00 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 028
Title
The Sacred and Profane in Early Music
Instructor
John Muller
Description
Medieval and Renaissance music has increasingly
become part of the mainstream repertoire. This course will enable
the student to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of
sacred and secular vocal music composed during the first 1,000
years of Western music history. We will begin with Gregorian chant
and learn about its liturgical function and musical character.
The 14th-century poet-composer Guillaume Machaut will be studied
through his love songs, with their pungent dissonances and syncopations.
Procedures in Mass composition will be examined in selected works
of Ockeghem, Dufay, and Josquin. The topic of tone painting will
be explored in the sacred motets of Lassus and in the erotic, hyper-expressive
madrigals of Gesualdo and Monteverdi. The course will conclude
with the glories of the Venetian school and Giovanni Gabrieli.
Throughout the course, the development of notation will be treated.
Classes will be illustrated with recordings by some of the leading
early-music groups of our day, such as Anonymous 4, the Ensemble
Organum, Gothic Voices, and the Hilliard Ensemble, demonstrating
different approaches to interpretation and performance practice.
Duration
13 weeks - spring semester only
Date
Begins January 28
On
Wednesdays
Time
5:30-7:00 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 042
Title
The Chamber Music of Haydn and Mozart
Instructor
Michael White
Description
Among his many accomplishments, Joseph Haydn would
probably have treasured this title above all: Father of the String
Quartet. Not only did he create a huge body of works in this new
genre, his quartets greatly influenced the chamber music of his
two famous friends: Beethoven and Mozart (who said, “Everything
I know about string quartets I have learned from Haydn”).
In this class we will appreciate how Haydn’s quartets evolved
from the early, intimate, “haus-musik” examples—to
the dramatically powerful, almost “symphonic” works
of his later years. When we come to the chamber music of Mozart, “diversity” will
emerge as his ultimate goal. Even a short list of highly contrasting
works to be studied in class must include duos, trios, quartets,
and quintets for either strings alone, or strings with piano. Add
to that list the famous Clarinet Quintet, and Mozart’s “favorite” chamber
work: the Quintet for Piano and Winds. We will also discuss the
long friendship between these two composers, and how, during the
last 10 years of Mozart’s life, they constantly influenced
each other. As the semester ends, and we study Mozart’s last
two string quintets, we will recognize the “complete convergence” of
the two very different styles as we realize that the music becomes
nothing less than a true marriage between “Papa Haydn” and “God’s
Miracle in Salzburg.” The ability to read music is highly
recommended.
Duration
13 weeks - spring semester only
Date
Begins January 27
On
Tuesdays
Time
5:30–7 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 027
Title
Interpreting Major Masterpieces
Instructor
Mortimer Frank
Description
The masterpieces of Western music, like those of
the other arts, abound in ambiguities that are the source of their
fascination. They defy a single “correct” interpretation
for the same reasons that Hamlet or War and Peace have inspired
divergent interpretive views. With the phonograph providing the
opportunity to hear a variety of approaches to repertory staples
of the 18th and 19th centuries, it is possible to examine performances
of a given work recorded by many celebrated musicians from the
past and present. Employing a wide variety of recordings made by
these musicians, this course will offer comparative analyses of
their interpretations of orchestral, chamber, and solo works. The
style and structure of the music will also be considered. Composers
to be represented include Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert,
Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. When possible, class members
will be given the opportunity to audition newly released recordings
and compare their responses to the instructor’s.
Duration
13 weeks - spring semester only
Date
Begins January 28
On
Wednesdays
Time
5:45-7:15 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 030
Title
Opera in the 20th Century
Instructor
Michael White
Description
There may be fewer opera composers in the 20th century
than in other centuries, but the quality of their work more than
compensates. In this class we will focus on four masterpieces by
four very different composers: Pelléas et Mélisande
by Claude Debussy; Wozzeck by Alban Berg; The Rake’s Progress
by Igor Stravinsky; and The Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper)
by Kurt Weill. We will discuss these works from many standpoints,
including historical background, libretto, staging, lighting, and
other production values. It is also important to consider the sources
of these works, and how they, in turn, influenced other operas
that followed. Finally, we will examine in detail the “character
development” in these highly-charged psychological dramas.
One only has to mention Mélisande and Marie, or Nick Shadow
and Mack the Knife, to realize that these four works display some
of the most fascinating characters ever seen on the operatic stage.
The ability to read music is highly recommended.
Duration
13 weeks - fall semester only
Date
Begins September 8
On
Mondays
Time
5:30–7 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 031
Title
Opera as Theater
Instructor
Cori Ellison
Description
Opera was accidentally invented by a group of Renaissance
Florentines who were trying to re-create ancient Greek theater.
Since then, each era and its greatest composers have wrestled with,
fought over, and redefined opera’s relationship with drama.
Drawing our study pieces from this season’s New York operatic
repertory, each session will focus on an opera of a distinct theatrical
type and explore the ever-shifting balance between words, voices,
orchestra, and drama in styles including Handelian opera seria,
Mozartean opera buffa, Singspiel, bel canto, grand opera, Wagnerian
music drama, Russian epic opera, verismo, Viennese operetta, contemporary
opera, and American musical theater. Eminent professional singers,
directors, designers, conductors, and critics will visit and share
their unique perspectives on staging and performing opera of different
theatrical styles
Duration
A one-semester (10-week) course
Date
Begins September 16 (fall); Begins January 27 (spring)
On
Tuesdays
Time
5:30–7 p.m.
Cost
$310
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 033
Title
The Operas of Wagner
Instructor
John Muller
Description
Richard Wagner was one of the most influential composers
in the history of music, and both he and his works continue to
be a source of fascination and controversy. This course will focus
on Wagner’s growth as an opera composer and his transformation
of the genre. In The Flying Dutchman,Tannhaüser, and Lohengrin, we will examine how Wagner absorbs existing operatic style, especially
that of German Romantic opera. With the composition of the Ring
cycle, Tristan und Isolde, and Die Meistersinger, we will study
the development of music drama, leading to his last work, Parsifal.
The use of myth and legend, the handling of voice, orchestra, and
leitmotif, and the concept of the artwork of the future will be
covered. Wagner’s relationship to many leading 19th-century
figures will also be explored. A variety of recordings will document
great interpretations of the operas.
Duration
13 weeks - fall Semester only
Date
Begins September 11
On
Thursdays
Time
6-7:30 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 034
Title
Wagner’s Ring Cycle
Instructor
John Muller
Description
In the spring of 2004, the Metropolitan Opera is
once again presenting Wagner’s epic Der Ring des Nibelungen.
This course, devoted solely to the four-opera Ring cycle, is designed
for all Wagnerites who seek a deeper understanding of the composer’s
unprecedented artistic achievements. Topics will include Wagner’s
use of myth and legend, the gestation of the Ring, Wagner’s
compositional development during the 20 years he worked on the
project, and his use of the orchestra to create the dramatic mood.
The different characters from the cycle will be studied from a
musical and psychological standpoint. The comparison of recordings
will play an important part in the course.
Duration
13 weeks - spring semester only
Date
Begins January 29
On
Thursdays
Time
6–7:30 p.m.
Cost
$410
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 071
Title
The Magic Flute
Instructor
Michael White
Description
The word “magic” in the title of Mozart’s
last opera is particularly appropriate, because the work is imbued
with both unearthly beauty and charming comedy. The opera is rich
with extremes of drama and humor; to appreciate its dramatic contrasts
we need only to consider a few of the wondrous characters: the “star-spangled” Queen
of the Night; the funny bird catcher, Papageno; the majestic Sarastro;
or the manic Monostatos. Another fascinating aspect of this work
is its overall connection to Freemasonry. Mozart joined the Masons
in 1784 and took his membership very seriously. Almost every important
character or event in The Magic Flute is associated with
Masonic ideals and practices. For example, the character of Sarastro
was
based on Ignaz van Born, Master of the most prestigious Masonic
Lodge in Vienna; the Queen of the Night is a representative of
the negative, superstitious forces opposed to the Masons; and most
obviously, the Masonic obsession with the number three is reflected
in the Three Boys, the Three Ladies, and the Temple of Three Doors.
In this class we will discuss these multiple associations and other
important aspects, such as vocal lines, use of orchestration for
character development, and the contributions of Emanuel Schikaneder,
Mozart’s librettist. These classes are intended to prepare
opera lovers for the Met’s production of The Magic Flute in
the fall of 2003. Not subject to registration fee, library fee,
or discounts.
Duration
3 weeks
Date
September 10, 17, 24
On
Wednesdays
Time
6–7:30 p.m.
Cost
$95
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 074
Title
Tristan und Isolde
Instructor
James Kurtz
Description
After having worked for nine years on the monumental Ring
of the Nibelung cycle, Wagner abandoned this gigantic project
in 1857 to begin composing Tristan und Isolde. He had earlier written
to Liszt, “I have in my head a Tristanund Isolde, the simplest
but most full-blooded music conception.” Not having had a
new opera staged in seven years, Wagner sought to convince his
publisher that, unlike the Ring cycle, which posed enormous vocal,
orchestral, and scenic demands, Tristan would be a practical work
that could be performed by any good opera house. In reality, Tristan
und Isolde makes superhuman demands on the stamina of its singers
and orchestral musicians. The musical language Wagner developed
for Tristan went beyond anything he had done before, even in the
Ring, particularly in its use of chromaticism in both melody and
harmony, its free treatment of dissonance, and its full symphonic
style. In this opera the external action of the original Celtic
legend of two fate-driven lovers is reduced to a minimum. Instead
Wagner concentrates almost exclusively on the internal action,
the inner workings of the soul, to create a music drama that explores
all aspects of mature adult love, in which the lovers move from
unutterable longing and desire to a transfigured, metaphysical
conclusion. In this course we will consider Wagner’s transformation
of traditional operatic conventions, his vocal and instrumental
writing, and the relationship between music and drama. These classes
are intended to prepare opera lovers for the Met’s production
of Tristan und Isolde. Not subject to registration fee, library
fee, or discounts.
Duration
3 weeks
Date
September 11, 18, 25
On
Thursdays
Time
5:30–7 p.m.
Cost
$95
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 072
Title
Enrico Caruso
Instructor
Vincent LaSelva
Description
Enrico Caruso’s Metropolitan Opera debut in
November 1903 marked the beginning of a long and loving association
between the great tenor and the company. Throughout his career,
Caruso felt most at home and admired at the Met—he sang with
the company 868 times, in 37 operas, during 18 seasons. He also
had a long career with the Victor Talking Machine Company, which
brought him universal fame. In these two sessions we will celebrate
the 100th anniversary of Caruso’s Met debut and focus on
his story and his voice. Using historical recordings and live vocal
demonstrations, we will gain insight into his vocal technique,
repertoire, and the impact his career still has on young singers
today. Not subject to registration fee, library fee, or discounts
Duration
2 weeks
Date
October 8 & 15
On
Wednesdays
Time
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Cost
$65
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 075
Title
Jussi Bjoerling
Instructor
John Muller
Description
More than 40 years after his death, the Swedish
tenor Jussi Bjoerling remains one of the most beloved singers of
all times. His ringing high notes, elegant phrasing, and extraordinary
breath control continue to thrill listeners today. Perhaps the
most striking quality of his voice is its innate timbre. As one
critic put it, his singing had a quality that “mixed innocence
with a touch of heartbreak.” This series of lectures will
focus on Bjoerling’s interpretation of opera and song. Through
recordings, we will trace the development of his voice, from his
early career as a 14-year old alto to weeks before his untimely
death at 49. Many hard-to-find recordings of live performances
will be included. Not subject to registration fee, library fee,
or discounts.
Duration
3 weeks
Date
October 7, 14, 21
On
Tuesdays
Time
6–7:30 p.m.
Cost
$95
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 073
Title
The Joy of Conducting
Instructor
Judith Clurman
Description
Conducting is an art that is full of power and joy.
It also takes great skill. In two short hours, Judith Clurman will
demonstrate a few basics of conducting, such as beat patterns and
gestures. Students will be given a faux baton to use and all will
be encouraged to participate. vNot subject to registration fee,
library fee, or discounts.
Duration
1 week
Date
October 9
On
Tuesdays
Time
6 – 8 p.m.
Cost
$30
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 076
Title
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Instructor
Michael White
Description
Over the last 20 years, Stephen Sondheim has completely
changed the essential nature of the Broadway musical. Sweeney Todd,
perhaps his finest work, is much closer to a “comic opera” than
to a musical. A sympathetic character who has been driven to murder,
Todd is seen as a victim of the class conscious 19th-century English
society. As in the most compelling dramas, here tragedy and comedy
are treated as “twins,” constantly alternating with
each other. The unique quality of this intriguing work is the darkness
of its humor. In one scene, Sweeney sings a veritable love song
to his razors (which become tools for serial murder). In a later
scene, Sweeney and his amorous landlady, Mrs. Lovett, sing ecstatically
about meat pies made from the mortal remains of priests, lawyers,
and shopkeepers! Another interesting aspect of this work is Sondheim’s
use of leitmotifs, short melodic fragments that identify characters,
objects, or human emotions (a device most often associated with
Wagner). The most fascinating of these motifs is the famous “Dies
Irae” from the Catholic Mass of the Dead. Throughout the
work we are constantly impressed with the composer’s imaginative
use of such diverse elements as Gregorian chant, folk tunes, Italian
verismo, jazz rhythms, and cabaret-style songs. The miracle here
is that Sondheim has combined these strange bedfellows into a cohesive
dramatic whole. These classes are intended to prepare opera lovers
for the New York City Opera’s production of Sweeney Todd
in the spring of 2004. Not subject to registration fee, library fee,
or discounts.
Duration
2 weeks
Date
February 2 & 9
On
Mondays
Time
6 – 7:30 p.m.
Cost
$65
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 077
Title
Shakespeare in Verdi
Instructor
Vincent La Selva
Description
Can you imagine life without the drama of Shakespeare,
or the operas of Verdi? Without them, the world would be a duller
place. Fortunately, we not only have their individual plays and
operas, but also three magnificent operas that Verdi set to Shakespeare’s
plays: Macbeth, Otello (based on Othello), and Falstaff (based
on The Merry Wives of Winsor). In this insightful course, students
will explore these three works, comparing performances by singers
and actors in various scenes from both the operas and the plays.
We will also discuss the musicality in Shakespeare’s use
of iambic pentameter and punctuation, and how it relates to Verdi’s
musical settings. Not subject to discounts.
Not subject to registration fee.
Duration
3 weeks
Date
February 4, 11, 18
On
Wednesdays
Time
6 -7:30 p.m.
Cost
$95
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
Course
EVDOL 078
Title
Don Giovanni
Instructor
John Muller
Description
In March 2004, the Met unveils a new production
of Don Giovanni. In this work, Mozart brings darker and more
violent qualities into the world of opera buffa. This series
of lectures will cover a number of topics in detail, including
Lorenzo da Ponte’s role as librettist; Kierkegaard’s
influential study of the opera; and the performance history of
Don Giovanni, from its premiere in Prague to the present day.
We will thoroughly examine Mozart’s genius for creating
flesh and blood characters out of music. In particular, we will
examine the opera’s three main women characters—Donna
Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina—and their reactions to
contact with Giovanni. Recordings will document great interpreters
of the opera. Not subject to registration
fee.
Duration
3 weeks
Date
January 27, February 3, 10
On
Tuesdays
Time
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Cost
$95
Online Registration for Spring Courses Is Now Closed
