VIRTUAL ART SONG COURSES
“What a feast! All that wonderful music. I am totally enjoying these sessions.”
FALL, 2025
“EVOLUTION OF GERMAN ART SONG”
Course Description
Art Song is a genre of Western classical chamber music, most commonly composed for the performing duo of voice and piano. In its most celebrated incarnations, Art Song can represent the perfect marriage between music and literature, wherein poet, composer, singer and pianist unite in the creation of a singular musical experience.
In this series of six virtual classes we’ll trace the evolution of Lieder (the German word for songs) starting with early examples from the 18th century, proceeding through the genre’s 19th century heyday, and continuing into the mid-20th century.
Through a combination of guided listening, lecture and group discussion, we’ll investigate Lieder composed by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Clara and Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn, Gustav and Alma Mahler, Hugo Wolf and Richard Strauss. Featured poets will include Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Rückert, Heinrich Heine, Joseph von Eichendorff, Eduard Mörike and many more!
Each hour-long class will comprise approximately thirty minutes of guided listening interspersed with contextual background on the composers, poets, and musical concepts. Each class is accompanied by a digital packet containing recording details, poetic texts and translations, and lecture notes. Review videos will be made available for three months of unlimited streaming.
OCT 14: Lieder of W. A. Mozart & L. van Beethoven
OCT 21: Lieder of Franz Schubert
OCT 28: Lieder of Fanny Hensel & Felix Mendelssohn
NOV 4: Lieder of Clara Wieck Schumann, Robert Schumann & Johannes Brahms
NOV 11: Lieder of Gustav & Alma Mahler
NOV 18: Lieder of Hugo Wolf & Richard Strauss
Course Fee: $200
*scholarships are available
“It has been a joy to participate in these classes - I feel like I’m getting such an education!”
FAQ
WHAT ARE THESE CLASSES LIKE?
Designed to be relaxing, inspiring, and mentally stimulating, these classes comprise a mix of lecture and guided listening — think live, music-appreciation podcast — with slides displaying lecture notes, sung poetry, English translations, and art from the eras of the music we listen to.
WHO IS THIS FOR? DO I HAVE TO KNOW STUFF?
This course is for anyone interested in music, poetry, history, language, or the arts in general. It presumes no prior knowledge and requires no memorization of musical terminology or historical facts.
WHEN DO CLASSES TAKE PLACE?
Classes take place over Zoom on Tuesday mornings from 11am-12pm Eastern Time. Streaming video links are distributed shortly after the end of each class.
CAN I PARTICIPATE ASYNCHRONOUSLY?
Yes! You may join Zoom meetings in real-time and/or stream class videos at your leisure.
DO I HAVE TO TALK / BE SEEN?
Participate as much (or as little) as you like. Zoom attendants are welcome to remain muted - any group discussion is held to the end of class, and there’s never any pressure to join in. Feel free to put on your lounge-wear, turn off your video camera, and settle in for a sublime hour of music and poetry!
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
$200 fee includes the series of six (6) hour-long classes, three (3) months of unlimited access to streaming videos, and six (6) PDF packets with notes, biographical information, poetry, translations, and recording details for each class.
DO YOU OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS?
Yes! Scholarships are available - please indicate your interest on the registration form to receive more info!
“I loved getting to know the French Art Song from Ann’s clear introductions each class and the music she chose. Without having to do any outside work or research, I felt as though I were developing a whole new skill set!”
“EVOLUTION OF FRENCH ART SONG”
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Art Song is a genre of Western classical chamber music, most commonly composed for the performing duo of voice and piano. In its most celebrated incarnations, Art Song can represent the perfect marriage between music and literature, wherein poet, composer, singer and pianist unite in the creation of a singular musical experience.
Art Song in France experienced a rapid stylistic evolution during the Romantic Era and into the early 20th Century. In this series of six virtual classes we will explore this development by way of some of the most beloved musical and poetic works of the period.
Through a combination of guided listening, lecture and group discussion, we’ll investigate Art Songs composed by Hector Berlioz, Charles Gounod, Ernest Chausson, Pauline Viardot, Emmanuel Chabrier, Gabriel Fauré, Cécile Chaminade, Henri Duparc, Claude Debussy, Lili Boulanger, Reynaldo Hahn, Germaine Tailleferre, Maurice Ravel and Francis Poulenc. Poets include Victor Hugo, Théophile Gautier, Paul Verlaine, Guillaume Apollinaire, and many more!
Each class will comprise approximately 30 minutes of guided listening interspersed with contextual background on the composers, poets, and musical concepts. Each class is accompanied by a digital packet containing recording details, poetic texts and translations, and lecture notes. Review videos will be made available for three months of unlimited streaming.
CLASS 1: Introduction to the genre of Art Song; Hector Berlioz – Les Nuits d’été
CLASS 2: Mélodies and Chansons of Gounod, Viardot, Chabrier & Chausson
CLASS 3: Mélodies of Duparc, Chaminade & Fauré
CLASS 4: Mélodies of Debussy & L. Boulanger
CLASS 5: Mélodies of Hahn and Ravel
CLASS 6: Mélodies of Francis Poulenc and his Disciples
”POSTCARDS FROM EUROPE”
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Art Song is a genre of Western classical chamber music, most commonly composed for the performing duo of voice and piano. In its most celebrated incarnations, Art Song can represent the perfect marriage between music and literature, wherein poet, composer, singer and pianist unite in the creation of a singular musical experience.
This four-week course follows the Art Song genre on a tour through various regions of Europe. We’ll explore how composers pair text with piano, orchestra and other chamber instrumentation to take listeners on a narrative journey, illuminate a poet's words, and convey profound human emotions.
Through a combination of guided listening, lecture and group discussion, we’ll investigate music and poetry from Norway, Finland, Italy, Spain, Poland, Ukraine and more!
Each class will comprise approximately 30 minutes of guided listening interspersed with contextual background on the composers, poets, and musical concepts. Each class is accompanied by a digital packet containing recording details, poetic texts and translations, and lecture notes. Review videos will be made available for three months of unlimited streaming.
CLASS 1: Art Songs from Scandinavia
CLASS 2: Art Songs from Italy & Spain
CLASS 3: Art Songs from Ukraine, Czechia & Hungary
CLASS 4: Art Songs from the British Isles
”SCALING THE SONG CYCLE”
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Art Song is a genre of Western classical chamber music, most commonly composed for the performing duo of voice and piano. In its most celebrated incarnations, Art Song can represent the perfect marriage between music and literature, wherein poet, composer, singer and pianist unite in the creation of a singular musical experience.
A Song Cycle is a collection of Art Songs intentionally grouped and ordered by the composer to depict a narrative story, outline an emotional arc, or spotlight the voice of a particular author. While the genre reached its zenith in Europe during the early Romantic period, it continues to flourish today, with many fine examples from renowned and lesser-known composers alike.
This five-week course explores the song cycle as a genre, sampling examples of this expressive musical form on both macro and micro levels. Juxtaposing large-scale orchestral song cycles with miniature works for unusual chamber ensembles, we examine how composers pair text with different types of instrumentation to illuminate the words of a poet, take listeners on a narrative journey, and plumb the depths of emotional expression.
Through a combination of guided listening, lecture and group discussion, we’ll investigate song cycles large and small by composers including Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, Margaret Bonds, Gustav Mahler, Germaine Tailleferre, Benjamin Britten, Heather Gilligan, Maurice Ravel, Alban Berg, and more!
Each class will comprise approximately 30 minutes of guided listening interspersed with contextual background on the composers, poets, and musical concepts. Each class is accompanied by a digital packet containing recording details, poetic texts and translations, and lecture notes. Review videos will be made available for three months of unlimited streaming.
CLASS 1: “A Feast for the Ears – Copland Two Ways”
CLASS 2: “Know Thy Poet”
CLASS 3: “Mixed Messages”
CLASS 4: “Let’s Get Lush”
CLASS 5: “A Singer’s Scrapbook”
”SCALING THE SONG CYCLE
W/ STRINGS ATTACHED”
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Art Song is a genre of Western classical chamber music, most commonly composed for the performing duo of voice and piano. In its most celebrated incarnations, Art Song can represent the perfect marriage between music and literature, wherein poet, composer, singer and pianist unite in the creation of a singular musical experience.
A Song Cycle is a collection of Art Songs intentionally grouped and ordered by the composer to depict a narrative story, outline an emotional arc, or spotlight the voice of a particular author. While the genre reached its zenith in Europe during the early Romantic period, it continues to flourish today, with many fine examples from renowned and lesser-known composers alike.
This four-week course explores the song cycle genre, highlighting examples of this expressive musical form that combine voice and strings. We’ll investigate how composers pair text with string chamber instrumentation to take listeners on a narrative journey, illuminate a poet's words, and convey profound human emotions.
Through a combination of guided listening, lecture and group discussion, we’ll investigate works by composers including Ralph Vaughan Williams, Samuel Barber, Augusta Reed Thomas, Benjamin Britten, Paul Hindemith, Heather Gilligan, Vartan Aghababian, Ernest Chausson, and more!
Each class will comprise approximately 30 minutes of guided listening interspersed with contextual background on the composers, poets, and musical concepts. Each class is accompanied by a digital packet containing recording details, poetic texts and translations, and lecture notes. Review videos will be made available for three months of unlimited streaming.
CLASS 1: Vaughan Williams, Barber & Thomas
CLASS 2: Chausson, Gurney & Saariaho
CLASS 3: Britten & Gilligan
CLASS 4: Hindemith, Aghababian & Gurney