EVDOL 27 - The Symphony Post-Beethoven

Daniel Felsenfeld
Whither the symphony? Since 1824, when Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony premiered at the Kärntnertor House in Vienna, the whole notion of the symphony has continued to intrigue, beguile, and confound composers. This course commences with this famous premiere and takes a long look at some other symphonies that have followed, a tortured journey that seeks to answer: What, in fact, does the form—and even the word—mean as the world changes?

Works examined will include obvious but worthy examples by Brahms, Schumann, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Mahler, and Bruckner. We will also unpack works by Copland, Price, Farrenc, Milhaud, Britten, John Corigliano, and John Harbison as well as cover the symphonies of Glenn Branca, Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt, Davies, Michael Nyman, Penderecki, and Henryk Górecki. We will even include David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti (their theater piece Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted) and the song “Bittersweet Symphony” by the Verve and An American Symphony from the film Mister Holland’s Opus.

The class will be lecture-based, with listening projects and some readings.

8 weeks

Wednesdays 5:30–7:30pm ET

October 23–December 18

In Person Only

$544