M525: Survey of Opera Literature

Fall 2002

Week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

 

Important Dates:

Listening tests on 4 October and 8 November

Midterm on 25 October (see the Essays to be prepared)

Final Exam 20 December

***Early final exam date: Monday, 16 December, 10am-12noon, in MA006***

(see the Essays for the Final)

Research Paper:

Bibliography due on 11 October

Topic Proposal due 18 October

Draft due 22 November

Final Version due 13 December

 

 

Course Schedule

Week 1

Claudio Monteverdi, Orfeo and the origins of opera

Grout: 11-86

Reading:  Whenham, Orfeo, chs. 1, 2, 4, 8, 9; Radice, Opera in Context, ch. 1

Other materials: see link below

List of early opera and other theatrical productions with music

Additional listening: Lamento d'Arianna; Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda; Lamento della Ninfa

Top

Week 2

Monteverdi, L’Incoronazione di Poppea

Grout: 87-126

Reading: Fenlon and Miller, The Song of the Soul, chs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8

Top

Week 3

Jean-Baptiste Lully, Atys

            Grout: 140-153

Reading: Opera in Context, ch. 2

Top

Week 4

George Frederick Handel, Ariodante

Grout: 154-257

Reading: Dean, Handel’s Operas, 1704-1726, and Handel and the Opera Seria; Opera in Context, ch. 4

Top

Week 5

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro

Grout: 258-344

Reading: Carter, Figaro; Opera in Context, ch. 5

Friday: Listening test 1 (through Week 4)

Top

Week 6

Mozart, Die Zauberfl­öte

Grout: 258-344**

Reading: Branscombe, Die Zauberflöte, chs. 2, 3, 6, 8

Friday: Research bibliographies are due

Top

Week 7

Gioacchino Rossini, Otello

Grout: 405-409

Top

Friday: Topic proposals are due

Week 8

Richard Wagner, Das Rheingold

Grout: 434-491

Reading: Millington, Wagner, chs. 5 and 16; Stein, Richard Wagner and the Synthesis of the Arts; Opera in Context, ch. 9

Friday: Midterm (through Week 7; see Essays)

Top

Week 9 (please note: we will not meet on Friday, 1 November)

Georges Bizet, Carmen

Grout: 347-401; 492-508

Reading: Dean, Bizet; McClary, Carmen, chs. 1-5

Top

Week 10

Giuseppe Verdi, Otello

Grout: 402-433

Reading: Hepokoski, Otello, chs. 1-3, 5, 7; Opera in Context, ch. 8

Friday: Listening test 2 (through Week 9)

Top

Week 11

Giacomo Puccini, Boheme

Grout: 508-516

Reading: Opera in Context, ch. 10

Top

Week 12

Claude Debussy, Pelleas et Melisande

Grout: 597-645

Reading: Nichols and Langham Smith, Pelleas et Melisande, chs. 1-5

Top

Tuesday: Research project drafts due

Week 13 (Thanksgiving Recess: Wednesday, 27 November, through Sunday, 1 December)

Alban Berg, Wozzeck

Grout: 645-691

Reading: Jarman, Wozzeck, chs. 1-7

Top

Week 14

Monday and Wednesday: continue Berg, Wozzeck

Igor Stravinsky, The Rake’s Progress

Grout: 645-691

Reading: Griffiths, The Rake’s Progress, chs. 1, 2, 4, 6-8

Top

Week 15

Monday: continue Stravinsky, The Rake's Progress

Friday 13 December: Final version of the research papers due

Benjamin Britten, Death in Venice (see it on DVD: call no. 5347262--the library does not own a CD of this work, and therefore the opera is not available on Variations)

Grout: 692-728

Reading: Mitchell, Death in Venice

Top

Final exam: Friday, 20 December, 12:30-2:30 pm. 

***Early final exam date: Monday, 16 December, 10am-12noon, in MA006***

Final Essays

Site Index

Course Information

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Massimo Ossi, copyright 2002