German Culture through Music

Catalog description

Welcome to German 221! In this course, we will explore the history and cultural background of German music, its movements, its sounds and its relationship to German political and religious life and culture. We will look at major themes, movements, and trends, including the baroque and the three German “Bs” (Bach, Beethoven, Brahms), cabaret, opera, political and folk music as well as industrial, Krautrock, and contemporary German “Schlager,” and examine their contributions to an evolving German musical identity (or identities). Apart from the historical and narrative context of the music under study, we will also consider how music, as a cultural manifestation of its time, produces resonance and emotion. While this course is not an introduction to music studies, it will give you a new perspective on how to think and write about music in a critical way. Taught in German.