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Introduction to Classical Music

Approx. 66 hours to complete

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Course Summary

This course introduces students to the world of classical music. Students will learn about the history of classical music, the different genres and composers, and how to appreciate and analyze classical music.

Key Learning Points

Learn about the history of classical music and its cultural significance
Discover the different genres of classical music and the composers who contributed to them
Develop skills in appreciating and analyzing classical music

Job Positions & Salaries of people who have taken this course might have

- USA: $45,000 - $80,000
- USA: $45,000 - $80,000
- USA: $30,000 - $70,000
- USA: $45,000 - $80,000
- USA: $30,000 - $70,000
- USA: $30,000 - $100,000

Learning Outcomes

Develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of classical music
Gain knowledge of the history, genres, and composers of classical music
Enhance analytical skills in music listening and interpretation

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

No prior knowledge or experience in classical music is required
Access to a computer with internet connection

Course Difficulty Level

Beginner

Course Format

Online
Self-paced

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Description

Using a simple and enjoyable teaching style, this course introduces the novice listener to the wonders of classical music, from Bach fugues to Mozart symphonies to Puccini operas.

Outline

What Is Music?
Course Preview
1.1 - Introduction
1.2 - Popular Music and Classical Music Compared
1.3 - Music and Emotions
1.4 - How Do We Hear Music? Sound Waves and the Ear
1.5 - Music Thrills Us, Music Chills Us
1.6 - Why We Like What We Like? It's Nurture
1.7 - It's Nurture: The Syntax of Western Music
1.8 - Why We Like What We Like? It's Nature
Begin Here
Syllabus
Suggested Readings [Update]
Spotify Playlist
Course Certificate
Grading and Logistics
Pre-Course Survey
Mentors' Library
Copy of Suggested Readings [Update]
Popular Music and Classical Music Compared
How Do We Hear Music? Sound Waves and the Ear
Why We Like What We Like? It's Nature

How Music Works, it's Magic.
2.1 - Beat, Meter, and Rhythm
2.2 - Introduction to Musical Notation
2.3 - Rhythm: What is It?
2.4 - Hearing the Downbeat, Feeling the Emotion
2.5 - Tempo (and How We Feel About It)
3.1 - What is Melody?
3.2 - Melodic Notation and Scales
3.3 - Major and Minor Scales
3.4 - The Chromatic Scale
3.5 - How We Feel About the Music: Mode and Mood
3.6 - Melodic Structure: The Tonic
3.7 - Modulation: Changing the Tonic (of the Key)
3.8 - Phrase Structure in Music: Beethoven's Ode to Joy
4.1 - Harmony: A Distinctly Western Phenomenon
4.2 - Chord Progressions and Cadences
4.3 - Melody and Harmony Working Together
4.4 - Major and Minor Triads
4.5 - Hearing the Harmony
Musical Rhythm, Relaxation, and Creativity
Beat, Meter, and Rhythm
Hearing the Downbeat, Feeling the Emotion
Tempo (and How We Feel About It)
Melodic Notation and Scales
The Chromatic Scale
How We Feel About the Music: Mode and Mood
Phrase Structure in Music: Beethoven's Ode to Joy
Harmony: A Distinctly Western Phenomenon
Chord Progressions and Cadences
Major and Minor Triads

The Sound of Music
5.1 - Why Do Instruments Sound Differently, One From Another?
5.2 - Musorgsky Makes a Wagon Move in Music
5.3 - The Four Families of Instruments
5.4 - Building a Symphony Orchestra
6.1 - Musical Texture
6.2 - Musical Form
6.3 - Musical Style
Office Hours I
Module 3 YouTube Playlists
Why Do Instruments Sound Differently, One From Another?
Musorgsky Marks a Wagon Move in Music
Building a Symphony Orchestra
Musical Texture
Musical Form
Musical Style

Music Back in the Day
7.1 - Introduction to the Middle Ages
7.2 - Gregorian Chant
7.3 - Monasteries and Convents
7.4 - The Chant of Hildegard of Bingen
7.5 - Early Polyphony
7.6 - Polyphony at the Cathedral of Reims: Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame
7.7 - Dance Music of the Court
8.1 - Introduction to the Renaissance
8.2 - Humanism in Music
8.3 - Musical Instruments and Dances
8.4 - The A Cappella Motet
8.5 - Reformation and the Counter-Reformation
8.6 - The Madrigal
Women as Creators and the Historical Barriers to Their Recognition
Module 4 Youtube Playlist
Gregorian Chant
The Chant of Hildegard of Bingen
Polyphony at the Cathedral of Reims: Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame
Musical Instruments and Dances
The A Cappella Motet
The Madrigal

The Baroque Era
9.1 - Introduction to Baroque Art and Music
9.2 - Early Baroque Opera in Italy
9.3 - Early Baroque Opera in London
9.4 - Baroque Instruments and Orchestras
9.5 - A Baroque Favorite: Pachelbel's Canon
9.6 - Vivaldi: The "Spring" Concerto
10.1 - Bach the Young Man and Organist
10.2 - Cothen: Prelude and Fugue
10.3 - Cothen: Brandenberg Concertos
10.4 - Leipzig: The Church Cantata
10. 5 - Bach's Posthumous Reputation
11.1 - Recap of Baroque Music
11. 2 - Handel's Early Life & Arrival in London
11.3 - Royal Connections: Water Music and Fireworks
11.4 - Opera Seria: Julius Caesar
11.5 - Oratorio: Messiah
Module 5 Youtube Playlist
Early Baroque Opera in Italy
Early Baroque Opera in London
Baroque Instruments and Orchestras
Bach the Young Man and Organist
Cothen: Prelude and Fugue
Cothen: Brandenberg Concertos
Leipzig: The Church Cantata
Royal Connections: Water Music and Fireworks
Opera Seria: Julius Caesar
Oratorio: Messiah

The Classical Era
12.1 - The Classical Period and Music
12.2 - Introduction to Classical Music Style
12.3 - Vienna: City of Music
12.4 - Franz Joseph Haydn and The Emperor
12.5 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his Music
13.1 - Classical Venues: The Canon and the Musical Museum
13.2 - Genres and Forms
13.3 - Ternary Form: The Mozart Sonata
13.4 - Sonata-Allegro Form: A Mozart Serenade
13.5 - Theme and Variations Form: A Surprise from Haydn
13.6- Rondo Form: Mozart as the Young Turk
14.1 - Piano Concerto in D minor
14.2 - Don Giovanni
14.3 - The Requiem
Mozart and the Dangers of Becoming a Child Prodigy
Module 6 Youtube Playlist
Introduction to Classical Music Style
Franz Joseph Haydn and the Emperor
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his Music
Genres and Forms
Sonata-Allegro Form: A Mozart Serenade
Piano Concerto in D Minor
Don Giovanni
The Requiem

The Bridge From Classical to Romantic
15.1 - Mozart and Beethoven Compared
15.2 - Beethoven and the Romantic Genius
15.3 - Beethoven's Early Years
15.4 - Growing Deafness and Disability
15.5 - The "Moonlight" Sonata
16.1 - The Three Periods of Beethoven
16.2 - Symphony No. 3, the "Eroica"
16.3 - Symphony No. 5
16.4 - Beethoven's Gift to Music: SOUND
16.5 - Beethoven Toward the End
16.6 - The Late Period and "Ode to Joy"
17.1 - Introduction to Romantic Music
17.2 - Domestic Music-Making of the Middle Class
17.3 - Sketch of the Life and Music of Franz Schubert
17.4 - Schubert's Erlkönig
17.5 - Robert and Clara Schumann
Office Hours II
Beethoven’s Deafness: Was it a Dis-ability or an Enabler?
Module 7 Youtube Playlist
Beethoven and the Romantic Genius
Beethoven's Early Years
Growing Deafness and Disability
The "Moonlight" Sonata
Symphony No. 3, the "Eroica"
Symphony No. 5
Late Period and "Ode to Joy"
Sketch of the Life and Music of Franz Schubert
Schubert's Erlkönig
Robert and Clara Schumann

The Romantic Era
18.1 - How Do We Communicate in Sound?
18.2 - Musical Signifiers and the Language of Sound
18.3 - Berlioz and His Symphonie Fantastque
18.4 - Symphonie Fantastque, "March to the Scaffold"
18.5 - Symphonie Fantastque, "Witches Sabbath"
18.6 - Do You Speak Fluent Program Music?
19.1 - Fixed Pitch Keyboard Instruments: A Quick Review
19.2 - The Pianos of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert
19.3 - The Pianos of Chopin and Liszt
19.4 - From Wagner's Piano to the Steinway of America
19.5 - Frédéric Chopin and the Nocturne
19.6 - Franz Liszt and the Etude
20.1 - Introduction to the 19th Century Opera
20.2 - Bel canto Opera
20.3 - Verdi's Operas and his Dramaturgy
20.4 - Verdi's La traviata
20.5 - Introduction to Richard Wagner
20.6 - Wagner's Ring Cycle
20.7 - Wagner's Die Walküre
21.1 - Introduction to the Romantic Orchestra
21.2 - Musical Instruments and the Industrial Revolution
21.3 - Musical Time Slows Down: The Grand Symphonic Gesture
21.4 - Bigger Orchestra, Bigger Concert Halls
21.5 - The Gustav Mahler Sample
Module 8 Youtube Playlist
Musical Signifiers and the Language of Sound
Berlioz and His Symphonie Fantastque
Recap Quiz
Symphonie Fantastque, "Witches Sabbath"
Fixed Pitch Keyboard Instruments: A Quick Review
From Wagner's Piano to the Steinway of America
Franz Liszt and the Etude
Introduction to the 19th Century Opera
Verdi's La triviata
Wagner's Die Walküre
Introduction to Romantic Orchestra
Musical Instruments and the Industrial Revolution
The Gustav Mahler Sample

Music to the Present
22.1 - Introduction to Impressionism
22.2 - Claude Debussy's "Claire de lune"
22.3 - Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun"
22.4 - Debussy's "Violes" (Sails) for Piano
22.5 - Impressionism and Exoticism
22.6 - Spanish Exoticism and the Spanish Tradition
22.7 - From Post Impressionism to Modernism
23.1 - Introduction to Modernism
23.2 - Stravinsky and His Early Ballets Russes
23.3 - Stravinsky and The Rite of Spring
23.4 - Schoenberg and Atonal Music
23.5 - Schoenberg and the Twelve-tone Music
23.6 - The Challenge of (and Antidote to) Modernism
24.1 - Simplifying Modernism: Aaron Copland
24.2 - "A Gift to be Simple" and Appalachian Spring
24.3 - Postmodernism
24.4 - When Less is More: Minimalism in Art and Music
24.5 - Beyond Minimalism: John Adams
24.6 - The Ultimate Mystery of Music
Office Hours III
From the TA!
Post-Course Survey
Module 9 Youtube Playlist
Additional Recommended Courses and Videos
Claude Debussy’s “Claire de Lune"
Debussy's "Violes" (Sails) for Piano
Stravinsky and His Early Ballets Russes
Stravinsky and The Rite of Spring
Schoenberg and the Twelve-tone Music
Postmodernism & Minimalism
Beyond Minimalism: John Adams

Summary of User Reviews

Intro to Classical Music course on Coursera has received positive reviews from users. Many users found this course informative and engaging, providing a great learning experience for beginners.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

The course provides a great introduction to classical music and its history.

Pros from User Reviews

Informative lectures and content
Engaging course material
Great learning experience for beginners
Good pace and structure of the course
Clear and easy to understand explanations

Cons from User Reviews

Some users found the quizzes to be too difficult
Limited interaction with the instructor
Not enough depth for intermediate or advanced learners
Some technical issues with the platform
Not enough focus on modern or contemporary classical music

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