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The Story of Great Music

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  1. Introduction

    What You Need to Begin
    5 Steps
  2. The Renaissance and Baroque Eras
    1. Renaissance
    8 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  3. 2. Early Baroque
    11 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  4. 3. Handel
    10 Steps
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    1 Quiz
  5. 4. Bach
    13 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  6. The Classical Era
    5. Haydn
    9 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  7. 6. Mozart
    10 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  8. 7. Beethoven
    8 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  9. The Romantic Era
    8. Early German Romantics
    9 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  10. 9. French Romantics
    8 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  11. 10. Masters of the Piano
    8 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  12. 11. Romantic Opera
    9 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  13. 12. Brahms
    8 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  14. 13. Romantic Nationalism
    10 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  15. 14. Russian Romantics
    9 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  16. The 20th Century
    15. French Impressionism
    10 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
  17. 16. Finland, England, & America
    9 Steps
    |
    1 Quiz
Lesson Progress
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  • Writing
    • Compile a list of scripture references for the parts of one of Handel’s works based on the Bible. You may surprised at the amount of scriptural language used throughout the piece! Figure out how to present your findings to family and friends.
  • Art
    • Simple: Write the script for a commercial that could have been used to draw audiences to a performance of one of Handel’s works—if they had radio, television, or the Internet!
    • Intermediate: Design an attractive announcement, handbill, ticket, or poster for a performance (historical or modern) of one of the pieces in this lesson.
    • Advanced: Research the original performance of Messiah at Musick Hall in Dublin on April 13, 1742, and create an authentic advertisement to attract an audience.
  • Listening
    • In Handel’s Instrumental Music, the closing comment made reference to the development of “color” or “layering” of instruments that would surpass Handel in the works of Beethoven, Mozart, and Haydn. While that will become clearer in future lessons on those composers, you can make a start now. Pick an overture from Handel from among this lesson’s playlist and then listen to the first movement of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony (which you’ve probably already heard in part—or jump ahead to Lesson 7). How do they compare? How are (some) instruments used differently by Beethoven? This is the beginning of listening with an ear for comparison and contrast.