Curtis Institute of Music and coursera offers a free online course on western music history through performance.
About the course:
A survey of music history begins with those works that convey the artistic trends, innovations, and compositional techniques representative of their time. This course will look at key works by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schoenberg, and Crumb, brought to life by audio or video recordings by Curtis students, alumni, and faculty. Accompanying lectures explore the historical context, composer, musical significance, and compositional design of each work. Guest interviews offer special insight into performance, improvisation, and contemporary composition. In-person and online sessions with the faculty members are being planned.
Course syllabus:
- Week 1: A Brief History of Notation
- Week 2: J. S. BACH, Chaconne
- Week 3: HAYDN, String Quartet in C major, Hob. III:32, and MOZART, String Quartet in B-flat major, K. 589
- Week 4: BEETHOVEN, Grosse Fuge in B-flat major, Op. 133
- Week 5: BRAHMS, Two Songs, Op. 91, and Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40
- Week 6: SCHOENBERG, Pierrot lunaire
- Week 7: GEORGE CRUMB, Voice of the Whale
Duration: 7 weeks
Timings: 2 to 4 hours / week
To apply, click here.