MUSI 321 - Composer in Focus

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

This seminar for advanced music students offers an investigation of the life and works of a single composer, with study of primary sources, biography, reception history, analysis, and criticism.

Topic for 2024/25a: Berlioz. Hector Berlioz has been called “an artist … without ancestry and without posterity.” While one might argue with this statement, there is no doubt that in the context of French 19th-century music Berlioz is utterly unique. The Romantic imagination of Berlioz was fueled by his passions––including literature, music, and women––which frequently threatened to overwhelm him, but instead were channeled into musical compositions of striking originality. In this course we study the works of Berlioz not only in terms of musical style, but within their literary, biographical, emotional, and cultural contexts. As W.H. Auden wrote, “In order to understand the nineteenth century, it is essential to understand Berlioz.” Kathryn Libin.

Prerequisite(s): MUSI 105, MUSI 106, MUSI 246, MUSI 247, permission of the instructor.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS