About this XSeries
Take an aural journey through 17th- to 20th-century Europe—exploring world-renowned works in classical, orchestral, and operatic music to create a cultural and social context for each performance’s circumstances.
You’ll begin your tour 1607, Matua, Italy for Claudio Monteverdi’s
—long regarded as one of the first and most important examples of opera. You will also focus on Monteverdi's life and work as a Renaissance court musician.
Travel into the 18th century for German composer George Frederic Handel’s
, premiering in Dublin in April 1742. Popular during the Baroque era, Handel gained popularity for his oratorios and unique operatic techniques. Next up, take a trek east to Vienna for Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, with its famous choral finale changing our views of orchestral music forever.
One last train ride brings you to the City of Lights, for the Paris premiere of Hector Berlioz’s five-movement symphony,
, before capping off your journey in 1913 for Igor Stravinsky’s
ballet premiere in Paris—one of the most challenging and rewarding ballets ever written.
By examining these works, both uniquely and collectively, Thomas Forrest Kelley, Morton B. Knafel Professor of Music at Harvard will guide you through an explanation of the arts, from key features of classical works and Baroque opera to character development on stage and through music to techniques in orchestral music and choreography. Each course is designed to give you a closer look at each work of art from the cultural context and performance circumstances at the time of premiere—combining passions in art, music, society, and history.
What you'll learn
- Gain an appreciation and understanding for the typical characteristics of Italian opera, classical music, and performance art—including instruments used and types of singing.
- Understand the revolutionary relationships created between music, drama, and storytelling in opera.
- Build on your learning and explore how performances have changed over time.
- Compare the social and cultural influences of each work.
- Learn the technologies and innovations behind opera performances, choir, instruments, and stage structure.
- Follow the composition, legacy, and significance through time and the relevance today.
| From | Harvard University, HarvardX via edX |
|---|---|
| Hours | 75 |
| Instructor | Thomas Forrest Kelly |
| Language | English |
| Subjects | Humanities Art & Design |
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Careers
An overview of related careers and their average salaries in the US. Bars indicate income percentile (33rd - 99th).
Music & Talent $47k
Music Business $51k
Orchestral Librarian $55k
Music Reviewer $56k
Music Maker $59k
Music History and Music Appreciation Teacher $66k
Music Administration $69k
Music Teacher 4 6 $77k
Music K-8 $80k
Music Paralegal $82k
Associate Composer, Orchestral Conductor, Professor $99k
Composer, Orchestral Conductor, Professor $114k
Courses in this XSeries
Listed in the order in which they should be taken
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First Nights - Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and the Birth of Opera Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo premiered in Mantua in 1607, and continues to be regarded as one of the most important examples of early opera. With L 'Orfeo , Monteverdi helped to... edX | Harvard University, HarvardX |
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First Nights - Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring: Modernism, Ballet, and Riots Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring premiered in Paris in 1913, sparking a riot and screaming so loud that the dancers could not hear the orchestra, and the choreographer had to... edX | Harvard University, HarvardX |
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First Nights - Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique and Program Music in the 19th Century Six years after the premiere of Beethoven's monumental Ninth Symphony, composer Hector Berlioz sought to make use of the symphonic genre, but on his own terms. Indeed, he wrote... edX | Harvard University, HarvardX |
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First Nights - Handel's Messiah and Baroque Oratorio (You were viewing this course) While Italian opera set the standard in the Baroque era, German composer George Frederic Handel quickly gained popularity for his oratorios, which put operatic techniques to work... edX | Harvard University, HarvardX |
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First Nights - Beethoven's 9th Symphony and the 19th Century Orchestra Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony premiered in Vienna in 1824, and continues to be one of the most popular symphonies in the repertoire. The monumental symphony’s size and... edX | Harvard University, HarvardX |
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| From | Harvard University, HarvardX via edX |
|---|---|
| Hours | 75 |
| Instructor | Thomas Forrest Kelly |
| Language | English |
| Subjects | Humanities Art & Design |
Careers
An overview of related careers and their average salaries in the US. Bars indicate income percentile (33rd - 99th).
Music & Talent $47k
Music Business $51k
Orchestral Librarian $55k
Music Reviewer $56k
Music Maker $59k
Music History and Music Appreciation Teacher $66k
Music Administration $69k
Music Teacher 4 6 $77k
Music K-8 $80k
Music Paralegal $82k
Associate Composer, Orchestral Conductor, Professor $99k
Composer, Orchestral Conductor, Professor $114k
Similar Courses
Sorted by relevance
