MUS 08 — Six Great Classical Composers
Quarter: Spring
Instructor(s): Nurit Jugend
Date(s): Apr 29—Jun 3
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Wednesdays
Class Meeting Time: 6:00—7:50 pm (PT)
Tuition: $415
Refund Deadline: May 1
Unit(s): 1
Status: Registration opens Feb 23, 8:30 am (PT)
This course offers a survey of six composers who left an indelible mark on classical music. We will explore how they innovated new styles, refined musical genres, advanced the evolution of instruments and orchestras, and at times defied convention to create pivotal moments in music history.
Beethoven’s demanding keyboard writing spurred the development of the grand piano and ushered in the Romantic era. Schumann mastered the art of word painting through the Lied and song cycle, while Mendelssohn, a child prodigy, excelled in both music and painting. Bartók preserved Hungarian and Romanian folk traditions, weaving them into his works for violin and piano and his Concerto for Orchestra. Debussy embodied the impressionist aesthetic, and Tchaikovsky became the first internationally acclaimed Russian composer, blending folk roots with Western forms. The course will also highlight two accomplished women composers, Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn, whose artistry and influence endured well beyond their time.
Beethoven’s demanding keyboard writing spurred the development of the grand piano and ushered in the Romantic era. Schumann mastered the art of word painting through the Lied and song cycle, while Mendelssohn, a child prodigy, excelled in both music and painting. Bartók preserved Hungarian and Romanian folk traditions, weaving them into his works for violin and piano and his Concerto for Orchestra. Debussy embodied the impressionist aesthetic, and Tchaikovsky became the first internationally acclaimed Russian composer, blending folk roots with Western forms. The course will also highlight two accomplished women composers, Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn, whose artistry and influence endured well beyond their time.