This course explores four pivotal moments in European music when tradition, innovation and historical change converged to reshape the musical world. Moving from the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century to the upheavals and breakthroughs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the course examines how composers and musical cultures responded to shifting social, political and artistic conditions. We consider the enduring appeal of music in the Dutch Republic, Claude Debussy’s revolutionary influence on modern music, the extraordinary creativity surrounding World War I, and the far-reaching legacy of Russian composers displaced by revolution. Across these four case studies, participants will gain a richer understanding of how music both reflects and transforms its time, and how major turning points in history have produced new sounds, new ideas and new directions in European music.
Face to face
- Music in the Dutch Golden Age
Explore musical life in the 17th-century Dutch Republic and the popularity of simple song in a culture better known for its achievements in art, trade and science.
- Claude Debussy and His Influence
Examine Debussy’s groundbreaking approach to harmony, texture, colour and form, and his lasting impact on the development of musical modernism.
- The Planets, the Devil and a Fiddle
Consider three remarkable works premiered in the final year of World War I: Holst’s The Planets, Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat and Bartók’s String Quartet No. 2.
- Russian Composers
Investigate the lives, music and legacy of Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Stravinsky, and the effect of exile and revolution on their artistic paths
At the completion of this course participants will be able to
- Identify four major turning points in European music history and explain their historical and cultural significance.
- Describe the musical characteristics and innovations associated with key composers and works discussed in the course.
- Explain how social, political and cultural change influenced the development of music in different European contexts.
- Recognise the contribution of composers such as Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Holst and Bartók to changing musical styles.
- Compare different musical responses to periods of transition, upheaval and artistic experimentation.
- Develop a broader understanding of how music both reflects and shapes its historical moment.
- Listen more confidently and critically to selected musical works from the 17th to early 20th centuries.
- Engage in informed discussion about style, influence and change in European music history.
