Instructor: Dr. Michael Roeder (in-person course)
Fee: Members $75 | Non-Members $95

Beethoven was a child of late 18th-century Classicism in music, but he transformed the style of Haydn and Mozart into something more urgent, more striving, more powerful, and even more peaceful. These Romantic qualities emerged as he created one expressive masterpiece after the other. His influence on 19th-Century composers was so strong as to be inescapable. 

Beethoven’s career is usually divided into three periods based on changes in his style. These changes coincide with important events in his life. We will highlight aspects of Beethoven’s biography and explore a variety of works from each period. Among works to be encountered are the “Moonlight” Sonata, Symphony No. 1, The Eroica Symphony, The “Kreutzer” Sonata for Piano and Violin, String Quartets, The “Pathetique” and “Appassionata” Sonatas, Symphonies 5 and 9, and Piano Concerto No. 4. As usual, we will experience outstanding performances via video and audio recordings.