VIRTUAL ART SONG SEMINARS
“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 moment.
In this series of six virtual seminars 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 seminar will comprise approximately 30 minutes of guided listening interspersed with contextual background on the composers, poets, and musical concepts. Each seminar 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
“It has been a joy to participate in these classes - I feel like I’m getting such an education!”
FAQ
WHAT ARE THESE SEMINARS LIKE?
These virtual seminars are designed to offer a combination of relaxation, inspiration, and mental stimulation. Each session features a mix of lecture and guided listening — think Live Music-Appreciation Podcast — with slides displaying lecture notes, sung poetry, English translations, and artworks from the time period of the music we listen to.
WHEN DO THEY TAKE PLACE?
Seminars take place via Zoom on Tuesday mornings from 11am-12pm Eastern Time. Streaming video links are distributed shortly after the end of each seminar.
CAN I PARTICIPATE ASYNCHRONOUSLY?
Yes! You may join Zoom meetings in real-time and/or stream seminar 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 - there’s no pressure to participate in discussions. Feel free to put on your lounge-wear, turn off your video camera, and settle in for a sublime hour of music and poetry.
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.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
$200 fee includes the series of six (6) hour-long seminars, 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 seminar.
DO YOU OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS?
Yes! Scholarships are available - please reach out to me directly for 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 moment.
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 seminars 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 seminar will comprise approximately 30 minutes of guided listening interspersed with contextual background on the composers, poets, and musical concepts. Each seminar 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 moment.
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 seminar will comprise approximately 30 minutes of guided listening interspersed with contextual background on the composers, poets, and musical concepts. Each seminar 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 Russia & Poland
”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 moment.
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 seminar will comprise approximately 30 minutes of guided listening interspersed with contextual background on the composers, poets, and musical concepts. Each seminar 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”
Twelve Emily Dickinson Songs, for voice and piano – Aaron Copland
Eight Emily Dickinson Songs, for voice and orchestra – Copland
CLASS 2: “Know Thy Poet”
Three Dream Portraits – Margaret Bonds, Langston Hughes
Mixed Metaphors – Heather Gilligan, Lisa DeSiro
This Way to the Tomb – Benjamin Britten, Ronald Duncan
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen – Gustav Mahler
CLASS 3: “Mixed Messages”
Pancarte pour une porte d'entrée – Germaine Tailleferre, Robert Pinget
Let me tell you – Hans Abrahamsen, Paul Griffiths (after Shakespeare)
Hermit Songs – Samuel Barber, Anonymous Irish monks and scholars
Letters From Composers for High Voice and Guitar – Dominick Argento, letter excerpts
CLASS 4: “Let’s Get Lush”
Three Shakespeare Songs, Op. 6 – Roger Quilter
Shéhérazade - Maurice Ravel, Tristan Klingsor
Sieben Frühe Lieder (orchestrated vn) – Alban Berg, various poets
CLASS 5: “A Singer’s Scrapbook”
Deux Poèmes de Louis Aragon - Francis Poulenc
Le temps l’horloge - Henri Dutilleux
An Amethyst Remembrance - Vartan Aghababian
The Gorgeous Nothings – Ingrid Stölzel
”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 moment.
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 seminar will comprise approximately 30 minutes of guided listening interspersed with contextual background on the composers, poets, and musical concepts. Each seminar 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 Plea for Peace – Augusta Reed Thomas
Dover Beach – Samuel Barber, Matthew Arnold
On Wenlock Edge – Ralph Vaughan Williams, A.E. Housman
CLASS 2:
Changing Light – Kaija Saariaho
Chanson Perpétuelle – Ernest Chausson, Charles Cros
Ludlow and Teme – Ivor Gurney, A.E. Housman
CLASS 3:
Battlegrounds – Heather Gilligan, E. Ethelbert Miller
Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings – Benjamin Britten, various authors
CLASS 4:
Melancholie, Op. 13 – Paul Hindemith, Christian Morgenstern
In Flanders - Ivor Gurney, Frederick William Harvey
Seven Songs – Vartan Aghababian, William Wilfrid Gibson