Tuesdays, September 18–November 6, 10 am–12:30 pm

Graham School of Continuing Studies, Downtown Chicago (Directions)

The University of Chicago

Beethoven’s legacy proved an inspiration and obstacle to the next generation of symphonists, who struggled with the implications of Beethoven’s formal innovations, but managed to infuse the symphonic genre with greatly expanded thematic dimension inspired by the philosophy, literature, and even visual arts that shaped their own experience. Our core repertoire will be the symphonies of Mendelssohn (including the ‘Scottish’ and the ‘Italian’ Symphonies), Schumann (including the Rhenish), Brahms, Bruckner, and Mahler.

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$310 Early registration
$340 Regular registration (after September 4)
Teacher Recertification CPDUs: 20

Syllabus

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Week 1: Berlioz and the program symphony

• Symphonie Fantastique (1830)
• Harold in Italy (with obbligato viola) (1834)
• “Dramatic Symphony” Romeo et Juliette (with chorus) (183
  9)
• Symphonie Funebre et Triumphale (giant wind band) (1840)

Week 2: Mendelssohn: Reformation, Beethoven Anxiety and Travelogues

• Symphony Nr. 1, 1824
• Symphony Nr. 2, “Lobegesang”, 1840
• Symphony Nr. 3, “Scottish”, 1842
• Symphony Nr. 4, “Italian” 1833
• Symphony Nr. 5, “Reformation”, 1830

Week 3: Liszt: The Satanic and Devine

• Faust Symphony (1854)
• Dante Symphony (1857)

Week 4: Schumann: The Master, the Amateur and the Poet

• Symphony No. 1 in B flat, “Spring”, (1841)
• Symphony No. 2 in C (1845-46)
• Symphony No. 3 in E flat, “Rhenish” (1850)
• Symphony No. 4 in D minor (1841; revised in 1851)

Week 5: “Brahms the Progressive” (with a look at Dvořák)

• Symphony No. 1 (1876)
• Symphony No. 2 (1877)
• Symphony No. 3 (1883)
• Symphony No. 4 (1885)

Week 6: Bruckner: Beethoven and God (or is that redundant?)

• Due to revisions, the chronology of Bruckner’s symphonies is quite complex. A separate handout will be provided.

Week 7: Mahler: The Agony and the Ecstasy

• Symphony No. 1 in D major (?1884–1888; rev. 1893–1896; 2nd rev. 1906)
• Symphony No. 2 in C minor (1888–1894; rev. 1903)
• Symphony No. 3 in D minor (1893–1896; rev. 1906)
• Symphony No. 4 in G major (1892, 1899–1900; rev. 1901–1910)
• Symphony No. 5 (1901–1902; scoring repeatedly rev.)
• Symphony No. 6 in A minor (1903–1904; rev. 1906; scoring repeatedly rev.)
• Symphony No. 7 in E minor (1904–1905; scoring repeatedly rev.)
• Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major (1906–1907)
• Symphony No. 9 in D major (1908–1909)
• Symphony No. 10 (1910–1911) (unfinished)

Week 8: Strauss and Hindemith
Strauss:

• Symphonia Domestica (Domestic Symphony), Op. 53 (1904)
• Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64 (1915)

Hindemith:

• Mathis der Maler Symphony (1933-1934)

Recommended Readings and Performances

These items are optional recommendations for those interested in further study.

Holde Kunst blog entries about the symphony since Beethoven