The String Quartets of Beethoven

Monday, October 27, 2014 - 6:00am to 8:00am
Helen S. Schaefer Building Dorothy Rubel Room  1508 E. Helen Street Tucson, AZ 85721

Professor: Jay Rosenblatt, School of Music
MONDAYS 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the great masters of the Classical and Romantic eras in music, and no genre summarizes his achievement better than the string quartet. This course will examine 16 works spread evenly throughout his early, middle, and late styles. The first six quartets reveal his consolidation of Mozart’s and Haydn’s techniques, the five middle quartets demonstrate his expansion of form and mastery of harmony, and the final five quartets, along with the “Grosse Fuge,” invite us into the experimental realm of the deaf and isolated composer. The first session surveys Beethoven’s life and career; the subsequent three classes are devoted to each of his three style periods, including an in-depth examination of one representative quartet. It is not necessary to read music for this class, and excerpts from Beethoven’s works will be played on recordings and by Dr. Rosenblatt at the piano.

NOTE: This is the first meeting of a 4-week course. 

More information including course fees and how to register can be found online at http://hsp.arizona.edu