Activities

If you want to learn about opera, whether you are familiar with the genre or beginning to enjoy it, then this course will offer you new ways of listening to opera, by exploring a wide variety of operas and their social and cultural contexts, ranging from the eighteenth century to the present day.

The course will introduce the various elements of opera production in the first term, and will explore some of the more general ideas around opera in the second term. In each class we will take a single work as a case study, outlining some of the general history of the composer and of the background to the opera, discussing the plot, the characters, the music, and different approaches to staging, all illustrated with plenty of audio and visual examples.

The two 10-week courses (10 January – 4 April and 25 April – 11 July) are open to all and you do not need any previous knowledge or qualifications to join the class, which will be supported by a PowerPoint presentation and plenty of audio and video examples of the operas, and there will be opportunities for discussion.

The 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. He is also the principal oboist of West London Sinfonia and the cor anglais player for Chelsea Opera Group.

Lectures will take place on the following Fridays (in 2025):

January: 10th, 24th, 31st

February: 7th, 14th, 28th

March: 7th, 21st, 28th

April: 4th, 25th

May: 2nd, 9th, 23rd

June:  6th, 13th, 20th, 27th

July: 4th, 11th

Each 10-week course is payable in advance and the cost includes tea/coffee and biscuits. Following each class the presentation and video links will be sent to participants, so you will still have the information, if you miss a class.