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MUSI 112: Listening to Music

Lecture 20 - The Colossal Symphony: Beethoven, Berlioz, Mahler and Shostakovich. The history and development of the symphony is the topic of this lecture. Professor Wright leads the students from Mozart to Mahler, discussing the ways in which the genre of symphonic music changed throughout the nineteenth century, as well as the ways in which the make-up of the symphony orchestra itself evolved during this period. The changes in the nature of orchestral music are contextualized within the broader historical changes taking place in Europe in the nineteenth century. The lecture is supplemented with musical excerpts drawn from Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Wagner, and Mahler. (from oyc.yale.edu)

Lecture 20 - The Colossal Symphony: Beethoven, Berlioz, Mahler and Shostakovich

Time Lecture Chapters
[00:00:00] 1. Introduction to Symphonies
[00:08:53] 2. Historical Changes in Strings and Woodwind Instruments
[00:15:28] 3. The Development of the Brass Family
[00:23:22] 4. The Growing Orchestra: Capacities and Limits in the 19th Century
[00:29:53] 5. Accommodating Orchestras: The Advent of Concert Halls
[00:35:26] 6. Gustav Mahler, the Symphony Composer
[00:47:32] 7. Conclusion

References
Lecture 20 - The Colossal Symphony: Beethoven, Berlioz, Mahler and Shostakovich
Instructor: Professor Craig Wright. Resources: Music 20 - Credits [PDF]. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov].

Go to the Course Home or watch other lectures:

Lecture 01 - Introduction
Lecture 02 - Introduction to Instruments and Musical Genres
Lecture 03 - Rhythm: Fundamentals
Lecture 04 - Rhythm: Jazz, Pop and Classical
Lecture 05 - Melody: Notes, Scales, Nuts and Bolts
Lecture 06 - Melody: Mozart and Wagner
Lecture 07 - Harmony: Chords and How to Build Them
Lecture 08 - Bass Patterns: Blues and Rock
Lecture 09 - Sonata-Allegro Form: Mozart and Beethoven
Lecture 10 - Sonata-Allegro and Theme and Variations
Lecture 11 - Form: Rondo, Sonata-Allegro and Theme and Variations (cont.)
Lecture 12 - Guest Conductor: Saybrook Orchestra
Lecture 13 - Fugue: Bach, Bizet and Bernstein
Lecture 14 - Ostinato Form in the Music of Purcell, Pachelbel, Elton John and Vitamin C
Lecture 15 - Gregorian Chant and Music in the Sistine Chapel
Lecture 16 - Baroque Music: The Vocal Music of Johann Sebastian Bach
Lecture 17 - Mozart and His Operas
Lecture 18 - Piano Music of Mozart and Beethoven
Lecture 19 - Romantic Opera: Verdi's La Traviata, Bocelli, Pavarotti and Domingo
Lecture 20 - The Colossal Symphony: Beethoven, Berlioz, Mahler and Shostakovich
Lecture 21 - Musical Impressionism and Exoticism: Debussy, Ravel and Monet
Lecture 22 - Modernism and Mahler
Lecture 23 - Review of Musical Style