Ahub of artistic innovation, a place of rigid conservativism, and the heart of an empire. We investigate the tremendous range of musical figures working in Vienna at the turn of the century, from Brahms and Schoenberg to Gustav and Alma Mahler, Richard Strauss and Johanna Müller-Hermann. This course has no break week
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.
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.
Vienna had been a major musical hub for centuries, but by the late 1800s it became a particularly potent melting pot of the old and the new. Fiercely conservative music critics defended the ‘old guard’ of Brahms and others against the radical new developments of Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, and the Schoenberg circle. The Vienna Secession was to prove hugely influential on music and literature, and artists across disciplines met to discuss the way in which the arts should develop. The question became even more fraught in the major political upheavals during and after the First World War. We will investigate some of the musical developments (and arguments!) during this period against a backdrop of tremendous social, cultural and political change.
What will we cover?
The last years of Brahms’s life and musical ‘conservativism’
The impact of music critics, from Eduard Hanslick to Julius Korngold, on public opinion
Opera, operetta and chief conductors in the city, including Gustav Mahler
The impact of the Schoenberg circle in breaking with tonality and what came next
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Describe some of the major cultural and political changes taking place in Vienna during this period
List the key musicians, artists, poets and critics working in Vienna at the time
Summarise the aesthetic aims of the ‘conservative’ musicians and contrast these with new developments by Mahler, Schoenberg and others
Reflect on the changing relationships of ‘high’ and ‘low’ art forms during this period
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is suitable for students at many levels, and no special music-reading skills are needed. However, a basic interest and beginners’ knowledge of classical music is advised for context: (e.g. What is a symphony? Which instruments are in a string quartet? And what do we mean by the Romantic tradition?)
This course is most suitable for those who regularly listen to classical music, as they will be able to compare/contrast the works on this course with memories of famous pieces of western classical music.
If you identify as an absolute beginner with little or no previous experience of listening to western classical music, we recommend you first consider our Exploring classical music courses which will introduce you to a basic chronology of western classical music.
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. Course materials (handouts, scores, links to online videos) will be shared via Google Classroom. You will be encouraged to do extra reading and listening 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, links to these materials will be available online in Google Classroom after each session.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
To find out more about music history classes please visit Music history: your guide to our programme, 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.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/vienna-at-the-fin-de-siecle3034489Vienna at the fin de sièclehttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/Exploring-opera-3-MD999-1024.jpg299299GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Performing arts/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Music history/Courses/Online courses228513141351136317311228513141351<p>A<strong> </strong>hub of artistic innovation, a place of rigid conservativism, and the heart of an empire. We investigate the tremendous range of musical figures working in Vienna at the turn of the century, from Brahms and Schoenberg to Gustav and Alma Mahler, Richard Strauss and Johanna Müller-Hermann. <strong>This course has no break week</strong></p>003034309Vienna at the fin de siècle299299https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/Exploring-opera-3-MD999-1024.jpgInStockDaytimeWedOnlineAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2027-01-13T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allJan 2027Performing artsMD023299299Vienna at the fin de siècle239209299Katy Hamiltonvienna-at-the-fin-de-siecle/md023-2627<p>A<strong> </strong>hub of artistic innovation, a place of rigid conservativism, and the heart of an empire. We investigate the tremendous range of musical figures working in Vienna at the turn of the century, from Brahms and Schoenberg to Gustav and Alma Mahler, Richard Strauss and Johanna Müller-Hermann. <strong>This course has no break week</strong></p>0000-Available|2027-01-13 00:00:00<p>Vienna had been a major musical hub for centuries, but by the late 1800s it became a particularly potent melting pot of the old and the new. Fiercely conservative music critics defended the ‘old guard’ of Brahms and others against the radical new developments of Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, and the Schoenberg circle. The Vienna Secession was to prove hugely influential on music and literature, and artists across disciplines met to discuss the way in which the arts should develop. The question became even more fraught in the major political upheavals during and after the First World War. We will investigate some of the musical developments (and arguments!) during this period against a backdrop of tremendous social, cultural and political change.</p><p>A<strong> </strong>hub of artistic innovation, a place of rigid conservativism, and the heart of an empire. We investigate the tremendous range of musical figures working in Vienna at the turn of the century, from Brahms and Schoenberg to Gustav and Alma Mahler, Richard Strauss and Johanna Müller-Hermann. <strong>This course has no break week</strong></p><ul><li>The last years of Brahms’s life and musical ‘conservativism’</li><li>The impact of music critics, from Eduard Hanslick to Julius Korngold, on public opinion</li><li>Opera, operetta and chief conductors in the city, including Gustav Mahler</li><li>The impact of the Schoenberg circle in breaking with tonality and what came next</li></ul><ul><li>Describe some of the major cultural and political changes taking place in Vienna during this period</li><li>List the key musicians, artists, poets and critics working in Vienna at the time</li><li>Summarise the aesthetic aims of the ‘conservative’ musicians and contrast these with new developments by Mahler, Schoenberg and others</li><li>Reflect on the changing relationships of ‘high’ and ‘low’ art forms during this period</li></ul><p>The course is suitable for students at many levels, and no special music-reading skills are needed. However, a basic interest and beginners’ knowledge of classical music is advised for context: (e.g. What is a symphony? Which instruments are in a string quartet? And what do we mean by the Romantic tradition?)</p><p>This course is most suitable for those who regularly listen to classical music, as they will be able to compare/contrast the works on this course with memories of famous pieces of western classical music.</p><p>If you identify as an absolute beginner with little or no previous experience of listening to western classical music, we recommend you first consider our <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/searchcourse/?q=exploring+classical+music" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Exploring classical music courses</a> which will introduce you to a basic chronology of western classical music.</p><p>Sessions will comprise combinations of lecture, discussion, quizzes, guided listening, video and score study.<br>Course materials (handouts, scores, links to online videos) will be shared via Google Classroom.<br>You will be encouraged to do extra reading and listening outside class.</p><p>You may also wish to purchase some of the music books or recordings discussed in class, links to these materials will be available online in Google Classroom after each session.</p><p>To find out more about music history classes please visit <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/blog/music-history-your-guide-our-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Music history: your guide to our programme</a>, 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.</p>MusicMusic historyvirtual239299209MD023NONEWed13/01/27 - 24/03/2710:30 - 12:3010:3012:3010 sessions (over 11 weeks)105-10 weeksDaytimeWeekdayOnlineOnlineKaty HamiltonBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2027-01-13T00:00:00+00:00Jan 2027Performing arts299299Vienna at the fin de sièclevienna-at-the-fin-de-siecle/md023-2627<p>A<strong> </strong>hub of artistic innovation, a place of rigid conservativism, and the heart of an empire. We investigate the tremendous range of musical figures working in Vienna at the turn of the century, from Brahms and Schoenberg to Gustav and Alma Mahler, Richard Strauss and Johanna Müller-Hermann. <strong>This course has no break week</strong></p>0000-Available|2027-01-13 00:00:00<p>Vienna had been a major musical hub for centuries, but by the late 1800s it became a particularly potent melting pot of the old and the new. Fiercely conservative music critics defended the ‘old guard’ of Brahms and others against the radical new developments of Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, and the Schoenberg circle. The Vienna Secession was to prove hugely influential on music and literature, and artists across disciplines met to discuss the way in which the arts should develop. The question became even more fraught in the major political upheavals during and after the First World War. We will investigate some of the musical developments (and arguments!) during this period against a backdrop of tremendous social, cultural and political change.</p><p>A<strong> </strong>hub of artistic innovation, a place of rigid conservativism, and the heart of an empire. We investigate the tremendous range of musical figures working in Vienna at the turn of the century, from Brahms and Schoenberg to Gustav and Alma Mahler, Richard Strauss and Johanna Müller-Hermann. <strong>This course has no break week</strong></p><ul><li>The last years of Brahms’s life and musical ‘conservativism’</li><li>The impact of music critics, from Eduard Hanslick to Julius Korngold, on public opinion</li><li>Opera, operetta and chief conductors in the city, including Gustav Mahler</li><li>The impact of the Schoenberg circle in breaking with tonality and what came next</li></ul><ul><li>Describe some of the major cultural and political changes taking place in Vienna during this period</li><li>List the key musicians, artists, poets and critics working in Vienna at the time</li><li>Summarise the aesthetic aims of the ‘conservative’ musicians and contrast these with new developments by Mahler, Schoenberg and others</li><li>Reflect on the changing relationships of ‘high’ and ‘low’ art forms during this period</li></ul><p>The course is suitable for students at many levels, and no special music-reading skills are needed. However, a basic interest and beginners’ knowledge of classical music is advised for context: (e.g. What is a symphony? Which instruments are in a string quartet? And what do we mean by the Romantic tradition?)</p><p>This course is most suitable for those who regularly listen to classical music, as they will be able to compare/contrast the works on this course with memories of famous pieces of western classical music.</p><p>If you identify as an absolute beginner with little or no previous experience of listening to western classical music, we recommend you first consider our <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/searchcourse/?q=exploring+classical+music" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Exploring classical music courses</a> which will introduce you to a basic chronology of western classical music.</p><p>Sessions will comprise combinations of lecture, discussion, quizzes, guided listening, video and score study.<br>Course materials (handouts, scores, links to online videos) will be shared via Google Classroom.<br>You will be encouraged to do extra reading and listening outside class.</p><p>You may also wish to purchase some of the music books or recordings discussed in class, links to these materials will be available online in Google Classroom after each session.</p><p>To find out more about music history classes please visit <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/blog/music-history-your-guide-our-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Music history: your guide to our programme</a>, 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.</p>MusicMusic historyconfigurable
13631351Music historyhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/performing-arts/music/music-history1/2/285/1314/1351/13631/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Music history