Mus 90-10; CRN 4526
3 Credits
MW 13:10-14:25
Professor Eugene Albulescu
Was Beethoven the greatest composer ever? The paradox of a deaf man
changing the course of music history is a fascinating one to consider. We will
look at European society at the time of Beethoven, setting the scene for his
rambunctious appearance. We will listen to music and read his wonderfully
insulting letters that stirred the status quo.
BeethovenŐs life, affected so vividly by the Enlightenment and by revolutionary
trends sweeping Europe, is a unique one. He simultaneously embraced and
rebelled against the social structures and the music of his day, setting a new
standard for the process of making music and changing the status of the
musician from that of a court servant to that of a respected artist. We will
look at his relationship with patrons, commercial publishers, fellow musicians
and yes, women. We will trace how all of these affected BeethovenŐs music and
the music to come after him, until today.
Eugene Albulescu is a Lecturer in the music department and a concert pianist who has performed extensively on four continents. No stranger to the effects of politics on everyday life, Albulescu, a native of Romania, emigrated to New Zealand with his parents to escape the communist regime and later came to the United States to study music at Indiana University. Of his several recorded CDs, one is devoted to BeethovenŐs Hammerklavier Sonata while another all-Liszt CD was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque Liszt prize.