Music 128 - Intro Western Classical Opera

This course begins with the birth of opera at the end of the Renaissance Period, and ends with some of the most successful operas in the past decade. The operas investigated include ones in English, French, German, Italian and Russian. Alongside an introduction to the materials of opera, from vocal fachs, forms, and styles, to vocal virtuosity, the course will also situate opera as a cultural phenomenon by considering the unique set of historical, intellectual , social, political and economic conditions of each work of art. The course includes some opera projections; each one preceded by an introduction of the period in which they were first performed followed by class discussions.