Join us for our Summer Lecture Series! David Dyer will set the scene for three premiere performances of famous musical compositions, describing the cities in which they took place, the concert halls, audiences, conductors, and musicians, the sound of the music when it was first performed (often with instruments now extinct), and the popular and critical responses. He explores how performance styles and conditions have changed over the centuries and what music can reveal about the societies that produce it. Classes will be held on August 6, 8, and 11, and will meet for 1 hour.
Register for the complete Lecture Series for $100. Can't make them all? Sign up for your favorites for $35 each.
Wednesday, August 6: Handel's "Messiah"
1741 was a difficult time for Handel in London, his Italian operas were no longer popular, and new composers such as Thomas Arne were far more successful with lighter entertainments in the English language. When Dublin requested Handel's presence for concerts he gratefully accepted and wrote this new oratorio incredibly quickly and performed it there with mixed reviews.
Friday, August 8: Mozart's "Don Giovanni"
Premiered in Prague in 1787, Don Giovanni stunned audiences with its bold mix of comedy and tragedy. Mozart conducted the premiere himself, with the orchestra reportedly laughing aloud at his dramatic gestures. The work was groundbreaking not only in its psychological complexity but also in its fluid musical structure. The Prague audience embraced the opera’s boldness, while critics later hailed it as a masterwork of dramatic and musical balance that helped redefine opera as a serious art form.
Monday, August 11: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
The Ninth Symphony (1824) was written by a deaf man and performed with only three rehearsals by a pick-up group. It must have been extremely difficult avant-garde music for them. The sopranos complained about the high notes, and one must speculate that the results were marginal at best. Fans of the piece will be surprised to know that a piano was part of the orchestra, seated in front, and indeed it was, by some accounts, the pianist who indicated to Beethoven to turn around and receive the applause he couldn't hear.
| Register | Class | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Register | Messiah | August 6 | 7pm-8pm |
| Register | Don Giovanni | August 8 | 7pm-8pm |
| Register | Ninth Symphony | August 11 | 7pm-8pm |
Register for the complete Lecture Series for $100. Can't make them all? Sign up for your favorites for $35 each.