Ever wonder why orchestras are still playing the Beethoven symphonies centuries later? Or why film composers look to Mahler and Tchaikovsky for material? In this course, you will be introduced to the beauty and excitement of classical music. We will survey eight influential classical pieces, and you’ll learn to recognize, discuss, and understand these great works of art in their historical and artistic context. But most of all, we will show you why Mozart, Bizet, and the rest are just as vital and satisfying today as they were centuries ago. By the end of the class, you will be the one shouting, “Encore!”

Ever wonder why orchestras are still playing the Beethoven symphonies centuries later? Or why film composers look to Mahler and Tchaikovsky for material? In this course, you will be introduced to the beauty and excitement of classical music. We will survey eight influential classical pieces, and you’ll learn to recognize, discuss, and understand these great works of art in their historical and artistic context. But most of all, we will show you why Mozart, Bizet, and the rest are just as vital and satisfying today as they were centuries ago. By the end of the class, you will be the one shouting, “Encore!”