Join us for our Summer Lecture Series! David Dyer will set the scene for seven premiere performances of famous musical compositions, describing the cities in which they took place, the concert halls, audiences, conductors, and musicians, the sound of the music when it was first performed (often with instruments now extinct), and the popular and critical responses. He explores how performance styles and conditions have changed over the centuries and what music can reveal about the societies that produce it. Classes will be held on August 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, and 15 and will meet for 1 hour.
Register for the complete Lecture Series for $190. Can't make them all? Sign up for your favorite three First Nights for $100 or your favorite five First Nights for $150.
Monday, August 4: Monteverdi's "Orfeo"
Orfeo (1607) is one of the very first operas ever written, from the composer who can be said to have defined the beginning of the Baroque era more than any other, even writing a manifesto about how the old (Renaissance) style was out and the new (Baroque) style was no longer playing by the old rules. It was a "Roll Over Beethoven" moment in music history and Orfeo was the first masterpiece in the new style. The story of Orfeo itself is one of the power of music so it was a natural dramatic treatment.
Wednesday, August 6: Handel's "Messiah"
1741 was a difficult time for Handel in London, his Italian operas were no longer popular, and new composers such as Thomas Arne were far more successful with lighter entertainments in the English language. When Dublin requested Handel's presence for concerts he gratefully accepted and wrote this new oratorio incredibly quickly and performed it there with mixed reviews.
Friday, August 8: Mozart's "Don Giovanni"
Premiered in Prague in 1787, Don Giovanni stunned audiences with its bold mix of comedy and tragedy. Mozart conducted the premiere himself, with the orchestra reportedly laughing aloud at his dramatic gestures. The work was groundbreaking not only in its psychological complexity but also in its fluid musical structure. The Prague audience embraced the opera’s boldness, while critics later hailed it as a masterwork of dramatic and musical balance that helped redefine opera as a serious art form.
Monday, August 11: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
The Ninth Symphony (1824) was written by a deaf man and performed with only three rehearsals by a pick-up group. It must have been extremely difficult avant-garde music for them. The sopranos complained about the high notes, and one must speculate that the results were marginal at best. Fans of the piece will be surprised to know that a piano was part of the orchestra, seated in front, and indeed it was, by some accounts, the pianist who indicated to Beethoven to turn around and receive the applause he couldn't hear.
Wednesday, August 13: Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique"
Symphonie Fantastique (1830) is a wild piece written by a wild composer, as anyone who's read his autobiography can attest. Unusual in having a semi-autobiographical narrative of the composer's tormented love life, it is at times plaintive, humorous, and diabolical. Written only 6 years after Beethoven's 9th, this first great Romantic symphony is nevertheless a giant step beyond it and still sounds modern to some modern ears.
Thursday, August 14: Wagner's "Das Rheingold"
Das Rheingold, the first in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, premiered in Munich in 1869 and introduced a mythic world of gods, giants, and cursed gold. With an unbroken stream of music—no arias, no breaks—and new instruments like the Wagner tuba, it shattered operatic tradition and launched a new era of music drama.
Friday, August 15: Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring"
The Rite of Spring (Sacre du Printemps, 1913) is still known for the riot it caused at its infamous premiere in Paris, but the riot might have been pre-organized. There was so much noise the dancers couldn't hear the music and the counting had to be shouted at them from backstage. Although the outrage probably came from the choreography as much as the music, it is now primarily known as a concert piece with masterful orchestration using a large orchestra in exotic combinations producing never heard before sounds
| Register | Class | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Register | Orfeo | August 4 | 7pm-8pm |
| Register | Messiah | August 6 | 7pm-8pm |
| Register | Don Giovanni | August 8 | 7pm-8pm |
| Register | Ninth Symphony | August 11 | 7pm-8pm |
| Register | Symphonie Fantastique | August 13 | 7pm-8pm |
| Register | Das Rheingold | August 14 | 7pm-8pm |
| Register | Rite of Spring | August 15 | 7pm-8pm |
Register for the complete Lecture Series for $190. Can't make them all? Sign up for your favorite three First Nights for $100 or your favorite five First Nights for $150.