Music 127 - First Nights

We will examine five major musical works from the 17th to the 20th century: Orfeo (Monteverdi), Messiah (Handel), the Ninth Symphony (Beethoven), the Symphonie fantastique (Berlioz), and Le Sacre du printemps (Stravinsky). Using Thomas Kelly's book First Nights, recordings of modern performances, and selected readings, we will study how these works function as pieces of music and what makes them unique. By focusing on their premieres, we will place them in their cultural and social contexts, approaching them from the point of view of their first listeners. At the end of the course, we will jump into the 21st century by organizing and hosting premiers of works specifically composed for our class.