MHST 530F Topics in the 19th Century: German Song
This course considers the repertoire of nineteenth-century German art song through a contextualized study of music and text by a wide range of composers and poets. We will address theories of text in music, evolving notions of the song “cycle,” analytical approaches to the lied, and the place of the lied within the social sphere. We will frame our work within the historical, philosophical, and political contexts of the time, and more recent critical assessments will help us evaluate and interrogate the circumstances that have shaped reception of this repertoire over the past two centuries. Ultimately, we will work to understand the particular challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities related to continued engagement with this music in the 21st century.