Exploring opera 3

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Join us to explore the history of opera over three enjoyable terms. In this third term we’ll explore Verdi, Wagner and the early 20th century. Break week: 04 Jun 2027

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Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.

  • Start Date: 23 Apr 2027
    End Date: 02 Jul 2027
    Fri (Daytime): 10:30 - 12:30
    Online
    Location: Online
    Duration: 10 sessions (over 11 weeks)
    Course Code: MD999
    Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £209.00
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Any questions? music@citylit.ac.uk or call 020 4582 0412

Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.

Book your place
In stock
SKU
245806
Full fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £209.00

What is the course about?

This is the third of three modules of Exploring Opera, but each module can be taken as a stand-alone course. In Exploring Opera 3 we focus on modern opera from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century.

What will we cover?

- Wagner’s idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk [total work of art]
- Italian opera of Verdi
- Opera and Nationalism: opera in Russia
- 20th-century disruptions: Strauss, Berg et al.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Discuss individual operas and their social and political context
- Understand the circumstances of each opera’s composition and first performance
- Discuss the place of these operas in the context of their composers’ lives and work.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is for those with some familiarity in listening to a particular composer or opera, having taken a previous beginners course, or a willingness to undertake short reading tasks between sessions. We may look at music scores and identify key features of music notation, but this will not be the main focus of the studies.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Tutor presentations and explanations, practical demonstrations on the piano, guided listening and watching, class discussion and debate. Occasional optional short preparation tasks, such as listening to an aria or reading about a composer, librettist or style, may be set from time to time.
Listening and reading outside class is encouraged, and resources and information will be available via Google Classroom.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Please bring a notebook and pen to make your own notes. If you would like to read a textbook alongside this course we recommend The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera by Roger Parker (OUP, 1994), but this is not essential for your enjoyment of the course.
You may also wish to purchase some of the music books or recordings discussed in class; links to these materials will be available after each session. You may also wish to attend live performances.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

*City Lit has a wide range of other Music history courses. For more information, visit our Guide to the Music history programme.

*You may also be interested in other areas of the Music programme such as music theory.

* Please contact the Music Department (music@citylit.ac.uk) for further information and advice.

We’re sorry. We don’t have a bio ready for the tutor of this class at the moment, but we’re working on it! Watch this space.