Music Through The Ages

By Clayton Scott

Music history is a story — a good story — so this class is conducted in a lively, dramatic and anecdotal manner. The great symphonic works, operas and ballets come alive as their stories in the historical context are dramatically retold. Who wrote them? When? Where? Why? Who was the first audience? A multi-disciplinary approach will gradually unfold the story behind the music, in its historical and social context. Composers will be taken off their pedestals and revealed as real people, living in a real time. The audience will become part of the fabric of the era.

Performances will begin with a spirited investigation of the concrete: the social history, manners, clothing, art and politics of the era; and then move to the abstract — the specific musical work(s). Key passages — what in the music makes it a masterwork — will be demonstrated at the piano and discussed — but always anecdotally, always accessibly to an audience of all ages. Finally, a dramatic performance of the work will bring the story to life, told over music recorded by world-class orchestras and singers.

www.ClaytonScottMusic.com