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]. |
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