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The Story of Great Music
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Introduction
What You Need to Begin5 Steps -
The Renaissance and Baroque Eras1. Renaissance8 Steps|1 Quiz
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2. Early Baroque11 Steps|1 Quiz
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The Italian Baroque (40 min)
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Watch Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" (35 min)
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The English Baroque: Purcell (35 min)
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The German Baroque (30 min)
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Listen: Early Baroque Recordings
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{+} Listening Journal
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{+} Research Papers
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{+} Projects
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{+} The French Baroque (25 min)
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{+} German Harpsichord Music (20 min)
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{+} Italian Baroque Oratorios & Opera
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The Italian Baroque (40 min)
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3. Handel10 Steps|1 Quiz
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4. Bach13 Steps|1 Quiz
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The Life of Bach (50 min)
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A Personal Portait: Bach
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Bach's Chamber & Orchestral Music (50 min)
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Bach's Large Choral Works (60 min)
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Listen: Bach Recordings
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{+} Listening Journal
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{+} Research Papers
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{+} Projects
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{+} Bach's Keyboard Music
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{+} Bach's Organ Music
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{+} Bach's Cantatas
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{+} Bach's Mass in B Minor
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{+} Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” & Glenn Gould
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The Life of Bach (50 min)
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The Classical Era5. Haydn9 Steps|1 Quiz
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6. Mozart10 Steps|1 Quiz
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7. Beethoven8 Steps|1 Quiz
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The Romantic Era8. Early German Romantics9 Steps|1 Quiz
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Schubert's Life & Music (55 min)
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Mendelssohn's Life & Music (60 min)
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Schumann's Life & Music (55 min)
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Watch Full Works by Early German Romantics (Varies)
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Listen: Schubert, Mendelssohn & Schumann Recordings
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{+} Listening Journal
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{+} Research Papers
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{+} Projects
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{+} Watch a fun documentary on Schubert's "Trout" Quintet
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Schubert's Life & Music (55 min)
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9. French Romantics8 Steps|1 Quiz
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10. Masters of the Piano8 Steps|1 Quiz
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11. Romantic Opera9 Steps|1 Quiz
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12. Brahms8 Steps|1 Quiz
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13. Romantic Nationalism10 Steps|1 Quiz
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14. Russian Romantics9 Steps|1 Quiz
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The Russian Five (70 min)
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Watch Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky (35 min)
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Tchaikovsky's Life and Music (60 min)
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Watch a Full Work by Tchaikovsky (35-45 min)
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Listen: Russian Romantics Recordings
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{+} Listening Journal
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{+} Research Papers
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{+} Projects
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{+} Tchaikovsky's Other Symphonies & Orchestral Works
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The Russian Five (70 min)
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The 20th Century15. French Impressionism10 Steps|1 Quiz
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Debussy's Life and Music (65 min)
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Listen to Debussy's "La Mer" (24 min)
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Ravel's Life and Music (55 min)
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Listen to Ravel's Piano Concerto in G (25 min)
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Listen: French Impressionism Recordings
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{+} Listening Journal
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{+} Research Papers
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{+} Projects
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{+} Other Great Works by Ravel
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{+} Listen to Gabriel Fauré's Requiem
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Debussy's Life and Music (65 min)
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16. Finland, England, & America9 Steps|1 Quiz
Lesson 8,
Step 8
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{+} Projects
Lesson Progress
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- Writing
- Imagine Beethoven was born in a different age, say 100 years earlier. How might his music have been different? Take one of his famous pieces and describe how various parts of it might have changed, and note how the instruments for which he composed might have been different.
- Art
- Simple: Take a virtual tour of the museum at Beethoven’s birthplace.
- Intermediate: Images of Beethoven with his recognizable hair are all over the place. Create your own portrait, bust, or collage of the iconic composer.
- Advanced: Choose one of your favorite musical themes (such as the famous four-note opening to the 5th Symphony) and learn how to play it on an instrument of your choice. The emphasis is not on playing a long stretch of music, but on distilling a powerful piece of music down to one of its smallest elements, and appreciating what can be built on top of it.
- Listening
- Just as with his image, Beethoven’s music will be recognizable throughout culture if you keep your eyes and ears open. Find a ‘mash-up’, sampling, nature-inspired or techno-version of one of Beethoven’s works (the 5th Symphony and the Moonlight Sonata will be easy ones to find). Knowing what you know about Beethoven’s background, what does this version of the composition lose compared to its original? Is anything gained? Present your findings to a friend or family member, and try to convince them of your opinion. This will introduce you to the ongoing debate about the roles of ‘art’ and ‘money’ in music.