Fresh Look: Rewind

We’ll start by tackling a pressing question: just what does a conductor do, anyway? After we’ve shone some light on that issue (with the aid of many conductors and orchestras) we’ll explore the orchestra from its early days to the present, culminating in a trip through the orchestra’s sections and instruments.

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Classical music began to take shape in the Baroque Era (1600-1750) with masters such as Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel, but it really came into its own with the Viennese Classical (later 18th century) with Haydn and Mozart. We’ll dive into music from both those eras (and maybe a little later), expanding to composers beyond the usual suspects, including those of African heritage and from Asia.

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Beethoven not only expressed the spirit of an era—artistic, political, and personal—but also served as an inspiration and model to future generations of composers. We’ll start with him, then go on to explore some early 19th-century Romantics who followed his lead.

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Beethoven’s influence continued well into the later 19th century, as composers created works that were both politically charged and imbued with the spirit of adventure and exploration. We’ll look at some late Romantics who, like Tchaikovsky and Mahler, brought folk music into their works, as well as Brahms, who summed up the century while simultaneously bringing about a rebirth of the symphony.

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Beginning in the early 20^th century and continuing to the present day, the music of the modern world offers a rich and multi-varied array of styles. We’ll begin with Claude Debussy and move through jazz-inspired composers such as George Gershwin, reaching the 21st century with works written within the past few years. Professor Scott Foglesong and California Symphony Music Director Donato Cabrera will close out the course with a discussion about the past, present, and future of orchestral music.

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