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12 classes
Despite the similarity of the two shots, the shows pictured here could hardly be more different. One is the classic balcony scene from West Side Story; the other is a revolutionary 2022 production of Tristan und Isolde in Vienna. What they have in common, of course, is the fact that, from earliest times to the present, romance has been a key element of musical theater. Happy endings are frequent, but not required; both these shows are tragedies. Nor need the romance be entirely innocent; adultery and seduction also play a part. The course will consider the role of romance in nine stage works, from the early days of opera to the Broadway musical, all shown in modern videos. Punctuating these will be sessions on the love song as a standalone item, whether German Lieder, Victorian ballads, or modern pops, yet avoiding too much sentiment!