Opera Studies I: European Opera; Origins through the 18th Century

Catalog description

This course asks students to define “What is Opera?” by deconstructing and defining it as an internationally recognized art form rising from and uniquely linked to musical and societal changes and the human condition. Students study the origins and developments of European opera from the 16th century through the 17th century, including national schools and styles, significant musical developments (formal, theoretical), cultural, social, and literary contexts as well as performance practices.