Lieder: music and poetry
From the late-eighteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, the German Lied developed and blossomed as a musical genre for amateurs, professionals, homes and concert halls. We trace its history through some of its most important composers.
This course has a scheduled break week on 29 Oct 2025.
Choose a starting date
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: 17 Sep 2025End Date: 26 Nov 2025Wed (Daytime): 10:30 - 12:30OnlineFull fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00
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.
What is the course about?
The word ‘Lied’ simply means ‘song’ in German – but it was also a way of describing lyric poetry, often written with vocal setting in mind. This course charts the development of the Lied from its humble origins as a simple, singable piece for amateurs in the late 1700s, to virtuosic works with orchestral accompaniment by the age of Strauss and Mahler. We will consider Lieder by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Hugo Wolf and others – including the considerable contributions to the repertoire made by women (such as Josephine Lang, Clara Schumann and Johanna Müller-Hermann). Some of the most important interpreters and early performers of public song recitals will also be discussed.
What will we cover?
- Trends in German poetry, c.1740-1920
- Public and private aspects of Lied performance
- Influences on Lied development, from opera and piano writing
- Case studies by a wide range of composers from German-speaking countries
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Understand the various stages of the Lied’s development, including changing styles of poetry
- Distinguish between the musical styles of leading Lied composers
- Recognise the broad variety of public and private (and amateur/professional) Lieder written, and the significance of the growing divide between the two.
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?
- Sessions will comprise combinations of lecture, discussion, quizzes, guided listening, video and score study.
- You will be encouraged to do extra reading outside class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You may also wish to purchase some of the music books or recordings discussed in class.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
To find out more about music history classes Music history courses in London and online which lists our full programme of classes ordered by term, and by day of the week. You may then click on each title to read the full course outline.
Dr Katy Hamilton is a freelance researcher, writer and presenter on music. She is fast becoming one of the UK’s most sought-after speakers on music, providing talks for a host of organisations including the Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, BBC Proms, Ryedale Festival and Oxford Lieder Festival. In addition, she regularly writes programme notes for the Salzburg Festival, North Norfolk Festival and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and is a frequent contributor to BBC Radio 3’s Record Review. Katy worked as Graham Johnson’s research assistant for his monumental Franz Schubert: The Songs and their Poets (Yale University Press, 2014) and is co-editor of Brahms in the Home and the Concert Hall (Cambridge University Press, 2014) and Brahms in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2019). In addition to her research and presentation work, Katy has taught at the Royal College of Music, City Lit, the University of Nottingham and Middlesex University, working with students in performance workshops and music history classes. She has been teaching Music History courses at City Lit since 2015. She is also Public Events Programmer at the Foundling Museum in central London.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.