Adventures In Classical Music—Music Appreciation For All!

Understand and enjoy classical music at your own pace. A music history course, including a music theory introduction.

What you'll learn
You will learn the component parts of music—rhythm, pitch, melody, harmony, form, etc.
Then you will apply those concepts to an exploration of the history of classical music.
In the end, you will have developed a greater understanding of music in its various stages of development
You will be able to more accurately identify the works and the composer’s style, as well as place it in the timeline of the history of music.
Requirements
I don’t require a textbook, but if you wish to complement your studies, the textbook that most closely parallels this course is The Art of Listening by Jean Ferris.
Description
  Music appreciation for the 21st century. Learn about Classical Music in the Western world from the Middle Ages to the present.     You’ll begin with an introduction to the various elements of music – for example, melody, rhythm, pitch and harmony – to give you the basics and vocabulary of music theory to understand and appreciate any type of music.  You’ll then explore the History of Classical Music through its various stylistic periods, from medieval chant right up to the current cutting edge. Anyone interested in classical music will benefit from this course.              ______________________________________________________________________        About this course:    Over 3800 happy students Updated regularly Full, free lifetime access All future extra and upgraded lectures are always included for free Unconditional Udemy 30 day money-back guarantee See testimonials from former students below                        ______________________________________________________________________          This course is structured in 32 sections;                          • the first section is devoted to the elements of music in order to give you a detailed primer in music theory: melody, rhythm, pitch, harmony, texture, tempo, dynamics and form. Section 1 includes a Short History of Rock and Roll to illustrate the musical elements and musical style.                          After that, each section is devoted to one of the broad eras of music history:                    • The Middle Ages. Learn about early music beginning with monophony and how polyphony developed during the period of the building of the great cathedrals.                    • The Renaissance. What was happening in music during the period in which Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel? A return to some Ancient ideals led to a rediscovery of the science of acoustics, providing a basis for the theory of modern harmony. How the course of music changed as a result of Martin Luther’s break from the Church.                    • The Baroque. Here we have the origins of opera, as well as a flowering of instrumental music, culminating in the works of Bach, Handel and Vivaldi.                    • The Classical. In reaction to the florid complexities of the Baroque, and influenced by the Age of Reason, the Classical period focused on simplicity and elegance, producing such composers as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.                    • Romanticism. The Age of Reason was too “reasonable” for the the Romanticists. They valued heightened emotion over elegance. The music of Schumann, Chopin, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Verdi and Puccini were some of its greatest accomplishments.                    • The Modern Period. Formerly referred to as the 20th century period, it now needs to reflect its expansion into the 21st century. Some of the greatest composers of this period have been Stravinsky, Bartok, Schoenberg, Britten, Shostakovich, Ives, Copland and Barber.                          • We conclude with a retrospective and some final remarks to wrap it all up.          ______________________________________________________________________    Testimonials from former students. I concurrently teach this course at Santa Rosa Junior College (for core Humanities credit). Please take a moment to read a few testimonials by Santa Rosa students about this course, as they testify to my passion and command of the subject matter.                          “I wanted to thank you, Bill Neely, for sharing your knowledge with us. This has been a super-duper class, and I find myself a little sad to find it drawing to a close. I've always enjoyed classical music rather passively; I now feel that I can be an active participant, with a deeper understanding of the musical concepts, the composers themselves, and their historical context. Very cool!”                          —Sandra L                          “My love for classical music has grown as I understand more now the times and styles and detours of styles these great composers took. I have found these lectures easy to understand and digest into my appreciation and education of classical music.”                          —Kathy J                          “I wanted to thank you for this wonderful class. I have a doctorate degree, and this has been one of the most thorough and informative classed I have ever taken. It has deepened my understanding and enjoyment of the music I have been listening to for the past 35 years…I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the depth and clarity of presentation of this class. Do you offer any other online classes? I have recommended it to many of my friends…”                          —Loretta Z                          “I really like your lectures, very informative, interesting and filled with a lot of information… This is what I hoped for in an online course. Great lectures, this is the first online class I've taken that I felt the instructor was as dedicated to his online students as his in-person ones.                          Thank you!”                          —Stephanie M                          “…lectures were terrific, especially the use of the history of Rock 'n' Roll to begin a very clear and concise exploration of the basics of music …Thanks very much for teaching such an excellent course. Sincerely,”                          —Daniel N                          Many more testimonials available on my musicappreciationonline dot com website. 

Overview

Section 1: The Elements of Music: Introduction to Music Appreciation

Lecture 1 1.1 Introductory Overview

Lecture 2 1.2 A History of Rock and Roll, Part 1

Lecture 3 1.3 A History of Rock and Roll, Part 2

Lecture 4 1.4 Elements and Rhythm

Section 2: The Elements of Music: Rhythm, Meter and Melody

Lecture 5 2.1 Rhythm, Part 2

Lecture 6 2.2 Compound Meter

Lecture 7 2.3 Additive Meter and miscellaneous

Lecture 8 2.4 Characteristics of Melody

Lecture 9 2.5 Melody and Notation

Section 3: The Elements of Music: Melodic structure; Harmony and Texture

Lecture 10 3.1 Melodic Structure and Harmony

Lecture 11 3.2 Harmony and phrase structure

Lecture 12 3.3 Harmonic progressions

Lecture 13 3.4a Texture —supplemental (non-musical)

Lecture 14 3.4b Musical texture

Section 4: The Elements of Music: Timbre

Lecture 15 4.1 Timbre and the human voice

Lecture 16 4.2 Instruments of the orchestra

Lecture 17 4.3 The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

Section 5: The Elements of Music: A Summary

Lecture 18 5.1 What is musical form?

Lecture 19 5.2 a discussion of the building blocks of form

Lecture 20 5.3 Bringing all the elements together

Lecture 21 5.4 Ravel’s Bolero

Section 6: Antiquity and the Middle Ages

Lecture 22 6.1 Beginnings

Lecture 23 6.2 Early church music

Lecture 24 6.3 Plainchant

Lecture 25 6.4 Dies irae

Section 7: The Late Middle-Ages and the transition to the Renaissance

Lecture 26 7.1 Notation and modes; Hildegard von Bingen

Lecture 27 7.2 The Notre Dame School

Lecture 28 7.3 The Late Middle Ages

Lecture 29 7.4 A Sleeping Europe wakes

Section 8: The Renaissance

Lecture 30 8.1 The Overtone Series

Lecture 31 8.2 The Early Renaissance

Lecture 32 8.3 Imitative Polyphony

Lecture 33 8.4 The Renaissance Mass

Lecture 34 8.5 The Reformation and Counter-Reformation

Section 9: Secular trends and introduction to the Baroque

Lecture 35 9.1 Secular trends in the Renaissance

Lecture 36 9.2 A New style for the madrigal

Lecture 37 9.3 Introduction to the Baroque

Lecture 38 9.4 Baroque opera and a new musical language

Section 10: The Early Baroque and the Beginnings of Opera

Lecture 39 10.1 Baroque opera, part 2

Lecture 40 10.2 Monteverdi’s Orfeo

Lecture 41 10.3 New trends of the Baroque

Lecture 42 10.4 The Nature of opera

Section 11: 17th century developments and the Rise of Instrumental Music

Lecture 43 11.1 17th century developments

Lecture 44 11.2 Musical developments in the middle Baroque

Lecture 45 11.3 The rise of instrumental music

Lecture 46 11.4 The Baroque concerto

Lecture 47 11.5 Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5

Section 12: Instrumental Genres; the fugue and the church cantata

Lecture 48 12.1 Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, part 2

Lecture 49 12.2 Bach and the fugue

Lecture 50 12.3 The dance suite

Lecture 51 12.4a The church cantata in Germany, part 1

Lecture 52 12.4b The church cantata in Germany, part 2

Section 13: Opera and Oratorio of the High Baroque; transition to the Classical Period

Lecture 53 13.1 Handel opera

Lecture 54 13.2 Handel oratorio

Lecture 55 13.3 Transition to the Classical style

Lecture 56 13.4 the Age of Enlightenment

Section 14: Unity and Form in the Classical Era

Lecture 57 14.1a Unity and Variety in Poetry

Lecture 58 14.1b Unity and Variety in Painting

Lecture 59 14.2 Unity and Variety in The Music Man

Lecture 60 14.3 Forms in the Classical period

Lecture 61 14.4 Forms in the Classical period, part 2

Section 15: Forms of the Classical Period; Introduction to Sonata Form

Lecture 62 15.1 Ternary Form in Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto

Lecture 63 15.2 Rondo Form

Lecture 64 15.3 Sonata Form in Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Lecture 65 15.4 Sonata Form in Mozart’s Symphony No. 40

Section 16: Instrumental Genres

Lecture 66 16.1 The Classical concerto

Lecture 67 16.2 Lebrun; the glass harmonica

Section 17: Opera according to Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro

Lecture 68 16.3 Mozart and opera

Lecture 69 16.4 Marriage of Figaro Act 1 Se vuol ballare

Lecture 70 16.5 Marriage of Figaro preparation for Scene ii

Lecture 71 16.6 Marriage of Figaro Act I, scene 2

Lecture 72 17.1 Marriage of Figaro, preparation for Act II

Lecture 73 17.2a Marriage of Figaro, Act II, part 1

Lecture 74 17.2b Marriage of Figaro, Act II, part 2

Lecture 75 17.2c Marriage of Figaro, Act II, part 3

Lecture 76 17.3 Marriage of Figaro, epilogue

Section 18: Transition Beethoven

Lecture 77 18.1 Transition Beethoven

Lecture 78 18.2 Introduction to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5

Lecture 79 18.3 Beethoven’s Fifth, Movement I

Lecture 80 18.4 Beethoven’s Fifth, Movement II

Section 19: Beethoven, Part 2

Lecture 81 19.1 Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Movement III

Lecture 82 19.2 Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Movement IV, part 1

Lecture 83 19.3 Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Movement IV, part 2

Lecture 84 19.4 Beethoven’s lyrical style

Lecture 85 19.5 Beethoven’s humor and conclusions

Section 20: Introduction to Romanticism

Lecture 86 20.1 Introduction to Romanticism

Lecture 87 20.2 Style features of Romanticism

Lecture 88 20.3 Schubert and Schumann Lieder

Lecture 89 20.4 Schumann and Chopin piano pieces

Section 21: Hector Berlioz and the program symphony

Lecture 90 21.1 Berlioz and the program symphony

Lecture 91 21.2 Symphonie Fantastique, Movement I

Lecture 92 21.3 Symphonie Fantastique, II, II and IV

Lecture 93 21.1 Symphonie Fantastique, V

Section 22: The miniature and character piece

Lecture 94 Lecture 22.1 Chopin and Liszt

Lecture 95 22.2 Brahms Symphony No. 3

Lecture 96 22.3 Old and new symphonic genres

Lecture 97 22.4 Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture

Section 23: The Emergence of nationalism; Romantic opera

Lecture 98 23.1 The Emergence of Nationalism

Lecture 99 23.2a Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, part 1

Lecture 100 23.2b Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, part 2

Lecture 101 23.3 Opera review

Lecture 102 23.4 The Barber of Seville: A un dottore della mia sorte

Lecture 103 23.5 Mad scene from Lucia di Lammermoor

Lecture 104 23.6 Giuseppe Verdi and Aida

Section 24: Italian and French opera; exoticism

Lecture 105 24.1 Aida: Final Scene

Lecture 106 24.2 Exoticism

Lecture 107 24.3 Bizet and Carmen

Lecture 108 24.4 Carmen: Habanera

Lecture 109 24.5 Giacomo Puccini

Lecture 110 24.6 La Boheme: Love Duet (part 1)

Lecture 111 24.7 La Boheme: Love duet (part 2)

Section 25: German opera and Richard Wagner

Lecture 112 25.1 Introduction to Richard Wagner

Lecture 113 25.2 Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelungen

Lecture 114 25.3a Die Walkure Act I excerpt, part 1

Lecture 115 25.3b Die Walkure Act I excerpt, part 2

Lecture 116 25.4 Die Walküre, Act III preparation

Lecture 117 25.5 Act III opening: The Ride of the Valkyries

Lecture 118 25.6 Die Walküre, Act III, final scene: Wotan’s Farewell

Section 26: Wagner’s influence

Lecture 119 26.1a Tristan and Isolde, part 1

Lecture 120 26.1b Tristan and Isolde, part 2

Lecture 121 26.2 Schoenberg and Pierrot Lunaire

Lecture 122 26.3 Reactions to Wagner : Debussy

Lecture 123 26.4 Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Section 27: Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg

Lecture 124 27.1 Igor Stravinsky

Lecture 125 27.2a The Rite of Spring, part 1

Lecture 126 27.2b The Rite of Spring, part 2

Lecture 127 27.3 Schoenberg, Berg and Webern

Section 28: European Modernism

Lecture 128 28.1 European Modernism

Lecture 129 28.2 Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, IV

Lecture 130 28.3 Bela Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra

Lecture 131 28.4 Bartok’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

Section 29: Music in America

Lecture 132 29.1 The American Scene

Lecture 133 29.2 Charles Ives

Lecture 134 29.3 Putnam’s Camp, Redding, Connecticut

Lecture 135 29.4 The Unanswered Question

Lecture 136 29.5 The Ultra-Modernists

Section 30: Copland and the American scene; Gershwin and jazz elements

Lecture 137 30.1 Aaron Copland

Lecture 138 30.2 Copland’s Appalachian Spring

Lecture 139 30.3a Elements of Jazz in concert music, part 1

Lecture 140 30.3b Elements of Jazz in concert music, part 2

Lecture 141 30.3c Elements of Jazz in concert music, part 3

Section 31: The American Sound; Ultra-moderism—the next generation

Lecture 142 31.1 The American Sound

Lecture 143 31.3 Post-Modernism

Section 32: Music in the postmodern age: electronic music; minimalism and beyond

Lecture 144 32.1 Electronic music, part 1

Lecture 145 32.2 Electronic music, part 2

Lecture 146 32.3 Minimalism and beyond

Lecture 147 32.4 Sound Masses - Penderecki and Ligeti

Lecture 148 32.5 In Conclusion

This course is intended for the beginner, although many students with classical music history training have reported that they too have benefitted from the class.