Music in Western Culture

The study of European art music from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century in its historical and cultural contexts. We all know of Beethoven and Mozart and Bach – three composers who have made great and original contributions to the heritage of Western art music – but do we know what they were really trying to say? In this paper we explore Western art music in context. Why did Bach write music in the way he did; why did Beethoven write music differently; why did Renaissance musicians sing madrigals; what was it like to be a medieval musician; why did everyone hate Lully; what secret message was Schumann sending to his fiancée in his songs? Focusing on particular composers at particular times and places, we enable students to understand the history of music in the context of its own times.