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Academic Year 2001/2002

Orpheus and Eurydice: the Power of Music
MUSC 120 SP

The touching story of the "inventor of music" who reclaims his beloved Eurydice from death, then loses her again, has inspired poets and musicians for centuries. During this course we will scan history for outcroppings of this myth, reading literary texts from the ancient world, including Virgil and Ovid, as well as the modern poetry of Rilke and Ashbery, and delving into more than 30 operas and musical works devoted to this subject. We will pay particular attention to Claudio Monteverdi's opera, ORFEO; Igor Stravinsky's ballet, ORPHEUS; and Philip Glass's chamber opera, ORPHEE, which uses as its text the actual screeplay of a Jean Cocteau film. In addition to occasional quizzes and a paper, the class will also compose a short theater work with m usic based on some aspect of this classical Greek myth.

MAJOR READINGS

Selected ancient and modern texts and poetry; close listening and study of selected musical works. See course description. Ovid's METAMORPHOSIS;
Virgil's GEORGICS;
Rilke's SONNETS TO ORPHEUS;
Ahsberry's SYRINGA; Monteverdi's ORFEO;
Stravinsky's ORPHEUS;
Cocteau's film ORPHEE; Philip Glass's chamber opera, ORPHEE

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Occasional quizzes, one term paper, one group musical composition and performance.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

No musical training required.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA MUSC    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-19-2002

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