Music. Learn, enjoy, appreciate.

What makes a composer ‘great’? Why does the work of some composers still resonate, delighting contemporary audiences?

In this music appreciation course, we will examine biographical details, the historical and social backgrounds, musical styles and great works of eight composers. These include Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Ravel.

Aims

This course aims to enhance your understanding and appreciation of classical music by introducing you to the lives and music of some of the greatest composers of all time: who they were, what they were trying to achieve, and what makes their music so wonderful.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should able to:

• list some great composers of classical music
• list examples of some compositions of great composers and describe their place in the composer’s output
• describe some of the features in the development of classical music.

Content

Bach

• Bach’s place in history and musical style.
• The Baroque Period: historical and social background.
• Bach’s Life: Weimar, Köthen, Leipzig.
• Listening includes: Air on a G String, Brandenburg Concertos, Mass in B Minor.

Mozart

• Mozart’s place in history and musical style.
• The Classical Period: historical and social background.
• Mozart’s Life: the early years, Salzburg, Vienna.
• Listening includes: The Clarinet Concerto, Ei