OSHER 427 - Introduction to German Lieder

This course will introduce class members to some of the most famous German art songs, or Lieder. We will extensively listen to and discuss the music of the renowned German Romantic song composers, such as Beethoven, Schubert, and Mahler. Though we will look at many famous, influential, and beautiful stand-alone art songs, we will primarily engage with collections of songs known as a song cycle or Liedrekreis. By the end of this course, class members will have a solid exposure to Lieder and Liederkreise of the 19th and 20th centuries and will learn about the controversial distinction between a song cycle and a collection of songs.