Are you baffled by Brahms? Perplexed by Prokofiev? Stumped by Strauss? On this course Bruno Bower invites you to join him on a journey to discover new ways to understand classical music, without any of the obscure jargon.

The focus of the course is on the stories music tells:

• What kinds of stories do composers tell through music?
• What methods do they use to tell them?
• What kind of historical stories can we discover through music?
• And how has historical music been shaped by the social and cultural context of the time?

Knowing who, how, and why people created, played, and listened to music makes it much easier to relate to the deeper levels of texture and structure that lie behind the sounds we hear.

The course is suitable for people with or without previous knowledge of classical music. On the course you will gain fresh perspectives on some famous works of classical music, and you will have opportunities to discover some less well-known pieces along the way.

London has a huge number of music venues, and one of the aims of the course is to give you greater confidence to enjoy classical music and to encourage you to hear classical music played live.

What, Where, When?

• Twenty 2-hour classes, each with a five-minute break in the middle.
• Nine classes for Part 1 in Autumn, eleven classes for Part 2 in Spring
• Fridays 10:30am – 12:30pm
• Part 1: 3rd October to 5th December (no class 31st October)
• Part 2: 9th January to 27th March (no class 20th February)

Catch-Up Material

Individual sessions will not be recorded, as they are intended to be interactive (they are classes, not lectures), and any recording risks inhibiting discussion. However, detailed PowerPoint slides will be circulated after every class along with a selection of YouTube links. Each session is self-contained, so it should not impact on enjoyment of the rest if you miss any.

Tutor

Dr Bruno Bower (FHEA, FRSA) is a lively and enthusiastic tutor whose love of music is infectious. He is a musicologist, performer, composer, and music editor, as well as a highly experienced teacher. He currently teaches at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Imperial College London. Previous teaching work has included Cambridge University, Royal Holloway, Surrey University, Brunel University, and the Royal College of Music.

He has written and presented on subjects as diverse as Gilbert and Sullivan, John Cage, and Victorian polymaths, and he is the General Editor for critical editions of music by Peter Gellhorn and Norman O’Neill, as well as editorial consultant on the AHRC-funded ‘Music, Migration and Mobility’ project at the RCM. He is also the principal oboist of West London Sinfonia and the cor anglais player for Chelsea Opera Group.

Should tickets no longer be available, please email Eve to be added to the waitlist on [email protected]