Guest Post: A Free Online College Course In Music History

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The story goes that the German classical composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was approached by the wife of Johann Strauss, the Viennese “Waltz King” (1825-1899). Frau Strauss asked Brahms to autograph her fan. (Ladies’ fans were a thing in the 19^th century.)

Brahms took her fan and drew a little musical staff on it, and he then notated the famous opening theme (or perhaps more precisely, opening gesture) of Johann Strauss’s “Blue Danube Waltz.” He then wrote under it, “Not, alas, by Johannes Brahms.”

I feel exactly the same way about my dear friend and colleague Hyperion Knight’s free online Hillsdale College course “The History of Classical Music: Pythagoras Through Beethoven,” as Brahms felt about the “Blue Danube Waltz.” Unfortunately, this course is not being taught by John Marks!

The guy who is teaching it is all of: A world-renowned concert pianist; a scholar whose Doctoral dissertation was on Beethoven’s “Waldstein” piano sonata; and a Hillsdale College Distinguished Teaching Fellow. BTW, Hyperion is highly regarded as a Gershwin interpreter, and he also has been known to play music not only by Lennon & McCartney, but also by Queen.

Hyperion is widely read, to say the least, and he is a fascinating lecturer. With a sense of humor, even. I really cracked up when he said, à propos the incommensurability (my word, not his) of the 2:1 ratio of octaves with the 3:2 ratio of fifths, “It’s turtles, all the way down.”

The problem being that, while “any sober person” would think that B-Sharp on a piano looks like C-Natural, when they are both perfectly tuned according to the Pythagorean Temperament, they are actually at different pitches.

Here’s the Official Trailer for Hyperion’s course:

The first lecture is up as a preview; the entire course will go up May 7. The course includes four lectures, each approximately 30 minutes long, and a 45-minute concert performance.

To prove that Hyperion is not an out-of-touch academic in an Ivory (or Ivy) Tower, here’s the list of musical excerpts. I have put in bold the non-classical music Hyperion uses to demonstrate how musical intervals such as the octave and the fifth can be used as the building blocks of songs.

Performance Excerpts

00:09 – Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13, Pathétique: II. Adagio cantabile.

1:25 – Claude Debussy, Suite bergamasque, L. 75: “Clair de lune.” Andante très expressif.

2:53 – Johann Sebastian Bach, The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria.

4:51 – English Folk Song, “Greensleeves.”

8:13 – Harold Arlen, The Wizard of Oz: “Over the Rainbow.”

8:35 – Lennon-McCartney, “Blackbird.”

8:55 – Richard Wagner, Lohengrin: “Bridal Chorus.”

10:41 – Hoagy Carmichael, “Heart and Soul.”

15:11 – Franz Liszt, Csárdás macabre, S. 224.

16:05 – Frédéric Chopin, Waltz in D-Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 1, “Minute Waltz.”

22:05 – Johann Sebastian Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846.

22:22 – J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846.

22:33 – J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 847.

22:44 – J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Fugue No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 847.

22:55 – J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 3 in C-Sharp Major, BWV 848.

23:09 – J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Fugue No. 3 in C-Sharp Major, BWV 848.

23:31 – J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 4 in C-Sharp Minor, BWV 849.

23:45 – J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Fugue No. 4 in C-Sharp Minor, BWV 849.

24:02 – J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 6 in D Minor, BWV 851.

25:15 – J.S. Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Fugue No. 3 in C-Sharp Major, BWV 848.

29:29 – J.S. Bach, Harpsichord Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 1052: I. Allegro

To put it bluntly, as a lecturer, Hyperion runs rings around the lecturer in Music History I had 50 years ago at some Ivy League school. If you complete (and pass) the optional Quizzes at the end of each lecture, you will receive a Certificate of course completion. Did I mention that Hillsdale College is offering this course at no cost? (Of course, they will gladly accept any freewill offerings.)

I have not inquired, but, the fact that this course ends at Beethoven suggests to me that it might be followed by another course, one beginning with the other major 19^th-century composers and continuing up to the present day.

I was a Visiting Lecturer at Thomas More College in New Hampshire for more than 25 years. I lectured on Music History and Music Theory, and I also organized and presented the Chamber-Music Performing Arts Series. And yes, I do know the joke about the Extra-Extra-Large Pepperoni Pizza. Therefore, I know whereof I speak when I say that it’s hard to imagine a better course, especially for free.

VERBUM SAPIENTI:

If you want to do well on the quizzes, here is my advice. The subject matter is a mix of familiar and not-so-familiar concepts and facts. I’d recommend watching the entire lecture at least three times. That’s because the Quiz for the first lecture is not a no-brainer. It’s rather subtle (or, if you prefer, tricky), indeed.

Have fun!