MUS 71 — Spring Serenades: Music Inspired by Birdsong and Blossom
Quarter: Spring
Instructor(s): Nurit Jugend
Date(s): Apr 2—Jun 4
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Wednesdays
Class Meeting Time: 6:00—7:50 pm (PT)
Tuition: $550
Refund Deadline: Apr 4
Unit(s): 2
Status: Open
Quarter: Spring
Day: Wednesdays
Duration: 10 weeks
Time: 6:00—7:50 pm (PT)
Date(s): Apr 2—Jun 4
Unit(s): 2
Tuition: $550
Refund Deadline: Apr 4
Instructor(s): Nurit Jugend
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Open
The sense of hope and renewal that spring brings has inspired some of the most enchanting music ever written, with composers having celebrated this season’s beauty for centuries.
This course explores classical music’s tributes to springtime, from Vivaldi’s Spring concerto to Robert and Clara Schumann’s Love's Spring. During each session, we will analyze several pieces, examining how composers translate the sounds and rhythms of nature into music. We will discuss Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “It Was in the Early Spring,” J. Brahms’s “Love Is So Delightful in the Spring!,” and C. Debussy’s “Symphonic Suite Spring," plus many more. We will place each work within the historical context of the composer’s life, examining how their surroundings and personal experiences shaped their music. From Mendelssohn’s Spring Song to Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, discover how art and nature intertwine to reveal new dimensions of music and the natural world.
This course explores classical music’s tributes to springtime, from Vivaldi’s Spring concerto to Robert and Clara Schumann’s Love's Spring. During each session, we will analyze several pieces, examining how composers translate the sounds and rhythms of nature into music. We will discuss Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “It Was in the Early Spring,” J. Brahms’s “Love Is So Delightful in the Spring!,” and C. Debussy’s “Symphonic Suite Spring," plus many more. We will place each work within the historical context of the composer’s life, examining how their surroundings and personal experiences shaped their music. From Mendelssohn’s Spring Song to Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, discover how art and nature intertwine to reveal new dimensions of music and the natural world.
No prior musical knowledge is required—just an enthusiasm for exploring the sounds of nature through the lens of classical music.
NURIT JUGEND
Composer and Filmmaker
Nurit Jugend has composed more than a dozen works that have been performed and broadcast worldwide. She works with leading orchestras and ensembles. Jugend received a PhD in music from Stanford. Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.