MUS 44 — Musica Divina: The Life and Works of Mozart
Quarter: Spring
Day(s): Tuesdays
Course Format: On-campus (About Formats)
Duration: 10 weeks
Date(s): Apr 4—Jun 6
Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Refund Deadline: Apr 6
Units: 2
Tuition: $520
Instructor(s): Ilias Chrissochoidis
Limit: 40
Class Recording Available: No
Status: Open
Spring
On-campus
Tuesdays
7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Date(s)
Apr 4—Jun 6
10 weeks
Refund Date
Apr 6
2 Units
Fees
$520
Instructor(s):
Ilias Chrissochoidis
Limit
40
Recording
No
Open
On December 5, 1791, at the young age of 35, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna, the city he had helped grow into Europe's music capital. His body was interred in a common grave, its exact location never to be verified, but his music endures today as one of humanity’s highest creative achievements, held by scholars as belonging to the pantheon of great art.
Of all the great composers, Mozart is among those most persistently linked to the divine. His premature death and his unique ability to maintain equilibrium between pathos and playfulness, simplicity and sophistication, bear much responsibility for this association. Mozart, however, was also a historical figure immersed in the dominant cultural force of his age, the Enlightenment, and its ideas for universal emancipation, progress, and prosperity.
This course will bring together music and history by exploring the life and works (the last symphonies, string quartets, piano concertos, Requiem, The Marriage of Figaro, and Don Giovanni, among others) of the great Austrian composer. We will cover the 30 years that saw a child prodigy from Salzburg mature into Europe’s most inventive composer as he relocated geographically, socially, and artistically during the most exciting period in European history.
This course will give students the opportunity to have a dedicated and in-depth encounter with the legacy of one of the greatest artists in human history.
Of all the great composers, Mozart is among those most persistently linked to the divine. His premature death and his unique ability to maintain equilibrium between pathos and playfulness, simplicity and sophistication, bear much responsibility for this association. Mozart, however, was also a historical figure immersed in the dominant cultural force of his age, the Enlightenment, and its ideas for universal emancipation, progress, and prosperity.
This course will bring together music and history by exploring the life and works (the last symphonies, string quartets, piano concertos, Requiem, The Marriage of Figaro, and Don Giovanni, among others) of the great Austrian composer. We will cover the 30 years that saw a child prodigy from Salzburg mature into Europe’s most inventive composer as he relocated geographically, socially, and artistically during the most exciting period in European history.
This course will give students the opportunity to have a dedicated and in-depth encounter with the legacy of one of the greatest artists in human history.
ILIAS CHRISSOCHOIDIS
Research Associate, Department of Music, Stanford
Ilias Chrissochoidis is a music historian, composer, and pianist. The recipient of numerous research awards, he has written extensively on Handel and opera. He is also the editor of Spyros P. Skouras’s memoirs and has released the music albums Inspiratorio, Ringtones, Hellenotropia, and Eviva! Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.