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Music as Drama

12 classes

This course will feature operas from the past four centuries, some well-known, some unusual, all illustrated with clean videos of good productions. Unlike the instructor's previous courses, however, the emphasis here will be on how to listen. How can music be used both to linger over an emotion and propel a plot? How did the sharp distinction between recitative and aria arise in the 18th century, and how did this change with Mozart, Rossini, and Verdi? Is the increased importance of the orchestra in Wagner merely bombast, or a radical approach to telling a story? As the norms of musical structure have dissolved in the 20th century, how can composers provide enough listening landmarks to keep their audiences’ feet on the ground? How far have contemporary composers succeeded in re-establishing opera as a popular art form?