Composers: Ludwig van Beethoven

Catalog description

This course will center on the biography, works, and cultural context of a specific composer or group of composers. As well as introducing students to the musical works of the composer(s), the course will examine issues such as reception history, the canon, mechanisms of cult formation, authorship and attribution, identity, historical and social contexts, and nationalism and patriotism.This course will explore the nature, evolution, and meanings of Beethoven's music. We will also consider aspects of his biography, particularly as they touch on his compositional output, and also think about the relationships between his music and cultural and political developments of his time. Listening to Beethoven's music, discussing it, and thinking about his life and art will constitute the heart of the course. The course is intended for non-majors, but music majors and performers are more than welcome as well.