Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies (CSP MUS 131)

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract: Beethoven’s nine symphonies comprise the most influential body of music in modern times. They brought a distinguished tradition of orchestral music to its peak, and became the paradigm of the symphonic genre ever after. Behind their craftsmanship and affective power lies Beethoven’s ability to turn abstract sound and harmonic processes into ecumenical dramas. For the first time in history, music as pure sound could claim the same universality as the monuments of Sophocles, Michelangelo, and Shakespeare. This course will combine a survey of Beethoven’s symphonies with a critical probing of their intellectual power and spiritual depth. We will explore how a four-note motif can generate a movement several minutes long (as in the Fifth Symphony); how Beethoven manipulates the sonata form to create dramatic effects; and the way he incorporates voices in the finale of his Ninth Symphony. This is a listening-based course and a basic knowledge of this repertory is expected.

Author	Chrissochoidis, Ilias	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3292-2953 (unverified)

Subject	Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827
Subject	Symphony
Subject	Stanford Continuing Studies
Subject	Musical analysis
Subject	Music appreciation
Genre	Mixed materials
Genre	Course/instructional materials
Genre	Unedited recording
Genre	Instructional and educational works

DOI	https://doi.org/10.25740/dz826rg8069
Location	https://purl.stanford.edu/dz826rg8069

Use and reproduction: User agrees that, where applicable, content will not be used to identify or to otherwise infringe the privacy or confidentiality rights of individuals. Content distributed via the Stanford Digital Repository may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor.
License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND).

Preferred citation: Chrissochoidis, I. (2019). Beethoven’s Nine Symphonies (CSP MUS 131). Stanford Digital Repository. Available at https://purl.stanford.edu/dz826rg8069. https://doi.org/10.25740/dz826rg8069.

Ilias Chrissochoidis Collection

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