MUSIC 234 - Analyzing Beethoven

Institution:

Bard College

Subject:

Description:

Contrary to his public image, Beethoven wasn't really more experimental than his predecessors Haydn andMozart; rather, he accepted his inherited forms, but vastly increased the range of drama and dynamic contrast. In so doing he arrived at a music so logical that it can sometimes be memorized after a reading or two, and he created archetypes for musical expression that continue to resonate today. This course follows the development of Beethoven's formal ideas, leading up to a detailed examination of the astonishing late piano sonatas and string quartets, considered by some to be the most "avantgarde"music ever written. Literature relevant to Beethoven's late music, such as Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus, is also considered. Prerequisites: Music Theory I and II or the equivalent (familiarity with Roman numeral analysis, secondary dominants, and augmented sixth chords).

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bard.edu

Phone Number:

(845) 758-6822

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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