Music

Anthony Short- Discovering the Symphony

Have you ever wondered how the symphony developed to become the pre-eminent orchestral medium? Was its growth during the nineteenth century a result of inevitable musical evolution, or was it a mere accident?

Deriving from the Greek for ‘sounding together’, the word ‘symphony’, is patently unhelpful in helping us to understand the essential nature of the genre. Nothing in its name explains how the symphony came to be understood as a work of several contrasted movements. So how did the symphony rise to become the supreme form of orchestral expression in the late eighteenth century, contending with opera for musical pride of place?

This ten-week course will investigate the development of the symphony from its earliest days to the present, showing how Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven changed its balance in such a way that it is impossible to imagine the course of musical culture without them. It will also take us through the Romantic period, when the symphony grew in size, and on into the twentieth century when it enjoyed a new lease of life.

The course will challenge the notion that Haydn was the ‘Father of the Symphony’, and it will also challenge the mistaken idea that there is something sacrosanct about symphonic form. Webern’s ten-minute Symphony for nine instruments, for example, or Sibelius’s single-movement Seventh Symphony are just as ‘correct’ as the large symphonies of Mahler or Shostakovich.

The death of the symphony has been announced many times, yet it always bounces back, changed and newly invigorated. Will this trend continue, and how is our modern lifestyle reflected in the way we listen to a symphony?

Come and discover the answers to these questions and many others by signing up to ‘Discovering the Symphony’.

Anthony Short, who studied at Leeds University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, is a professional violinist, writer and literary editor. He works with major symphony and chamber orchestras throughout Britain and Ireland, and is also leader of the Richmond String Quartet. He has written numerous articles for the principal European record companies and the BBC, and is an editor for Naxos Books.

Spring term 2010. Tbc  Contect (spelled out) tonyshort at madasafish dot com.

Chris Skidmore- Singing from scratch

This popular course allows those who think, or have been told, that they can't sing to explore their voices in an open and non-threatening environment and to discover that they can enjoy singing!

Chris Skidmore- Performing madrigals

A madrigal group is likely to continue into the new session for those who like to sing this repertoire in a smaller group. 

Chris Skidmore- Lunchtime choir

The choir which has been running since 2005 and is now on a Wednesday at 12.00 noon until 13.30 will continue in existence into the new session.  It is likely to take place at Park United Reformed Church on the Wokingham Road.  Everyone who is interested in enjoying singing a wide range of accessible music is welcome.

Gwyn Parry-Jones- What on earth is that NOISE?" A Listener's Guide to 20th Century Music'

For many music-lovers, the very term '20th century music' can be off-putting, even forbidding.  But the past hundred years or so has seen the production of a large share of the most beautiful, thrilling and imaginative music yet written.  And the range is immense - from the witty works of Stravinsky and Les Six, to the powerful symphonies of Shostakovich, or the jazz-inspired music of Bernstein and Copland.  These compositions, and many more, tell the story of a turbulent century in their own uniquely musical way. 

Gwyn Parry-Jones- 'What are conductors for?' (dayschool)

The job of a conductor looks - superficially - very glamorous, as well as highly attractive to those of a megalomaniac tendency!  But does a conductor have a function beyond waving his or her arms around impressively?  Could an orchestra or choir manage without one?  This day-school will attempt to answer these questions and others by considering what being a conductor involves, and comparing the work of different maestri  on both CD and DVD. 

 Gwyn Parry-Jones- Midsummer Magic - Shakespeare and music (dayschool)

A Midsummer Night's Dream  is one of Shakespeare's most enchanting and beautiful dramas, and has inspired much wonderful music. The most notable examples are the incidental music for the play by Mendelssohn, starting with the overture, written when he was just seventeen, and continued later in life; and the opera by Benjamin Britten, which encompasses both the magical and hilarious aspects of Shakespeare.  We shall explore extracts from both of these on CD, and view portions of the opera on DVD.

Return to list of subjects

British Library