The Symphony

Overview

Course No. 7210

Immerse yourself in the symphony and discover why it is the longest-lived and most expressive of all genres of instrumental music. This course features 24 lectures that explore the evolution of the symphony, tracing its journey from its early beginnings to its current form. You’ll delve into its relationship with the orchestra, the major composers who shaped it, and the cultural contexts that influenced its development.

Video Lectures

• Let’s Take It From the Top!
  • Overview of the origins and evolution of the symphony.
  • Duration: 48 min

2. The Concerto and the Orchestra
   • Discusses the development of orchestras and their impact on symphonic form.
   • Duration: 45 min

• The Pre-Classical Symphony
  • Analysis of early symphonies and the emergence of the galant style.
  • Duration: 46 min

4. Mannheim
   • Learn about the influential Mannheim Court Orchestra and its symphonic contributions.
   • Duration: 46 min

5. Classical Masters
   • Examination of major symphonists from the late 18th century.
   • Duration: 45 min

6. Franz Joseph Haydn, Part 1
   • Study Haydn’s early symphonies and their structural developments.
   • Duration: 45 min

7. Franz Joseph Haydn, Part 2
   • Explore Haydn’s innovative approaches to symphonic writing.
   • Duration: 45 min

8. Mozart
   • Analyze Mozart’s symphonic contributions and their complexities.
   • Duration: 45 min

9. Beethoven
   • Explore Beethoven’s revolutionary approach to the symphony.
   • Duration: 45 min

10. Schubert
    • Examine Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 and its lyrical beauty.
    • Duration: 45 min

11. Berlioz and the “Symphonie fantastique”
    • Discussion of Berlioz’s innovative narrative approach in his symphonic work.
    • Duration: 46 min

• Mendelssohn and Schumann
  • Analysis of how their symphonies merged classical tradition with romanticism.
  • Duration: 45 min

13. Franck, Saint-Saens, and the Symphony in France
    • Study the contributions of these composers to French symphonic music.
    • Duration: 44 min

14. Nationalism and the Symphony
    • Explore how Tchaikovsky and Dvorak used the symphony to express national identity.
    • Duration: 46 min

• Brahms, Bruckner, and the Viennese Symphony
  • Discuss the symphonic legacies of Brahms and Bruckner.
  • Duration: 45 min

16. Gustav Mahler
    • Examine Mahler’s philosophical explorations through his symphonic works.
    • Duration: 46 min

17. Nielsen and Sibelius
    • Explore the musical identities of Nielsen and Sibelius within the symphonic form.
    • Duration: 46 min

18. The Symphony in Russia
    • Analyze the emergence of the Russian symphonic tradition.
    • Duration: 45 min

19. Charles Ives
    • Discover Ives’s innovative and experimental contributions to symphonic music.
    • Duration: 45 min

20. Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber
    • Study how American themes are expressed in their symphonic works.
    • Duration: 46 min

21. Roy Harris and William Schuman
    • Examine the significance of these American symphonists in the 20th century.
    • Duration: 44 min

22. The Twentieth-Century British Symphony
    • Discuss the development of symphonic music in 20th-century Britain.
    • Duration: 45 min

23. Olivier Messiaen and Turangalila!
    • Explore Messiaen’s avant-garde approach in “Turangalila.”
    • Duration: 46 min

24. Dmitri Shostakovich and His Tenth Symphony
    • Analyze Shostakovich’s powerful messages hidden within the Tenth Symphony.
    • Duration: 47 min