Courses for Spring 2017
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Over 200 operas have been based on the plays of William Shakespeare. Many have been performed once or twice and then been consigned to the trash bin, some unjustly. Others have become part of the canon. With videos, sound recordings and texts this class will explore 4 plays and the operas (and an occasional ballet) they have spawned: A Midsummer Night's Dream (with examples from Purcell and Britten), Romeo and Juliet (Bellini and Gounod), Othello (Rossini and Verdi) and The Merry Wives of Windsor aka Falstaff (Nicolai, Salieri, and Verdi). Guest artists will include (in alphabetical order) Roberto Alagna, Judi Dench, Joyce DiDonato, Placido Domingo, Margot Fonteyn, Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Kline, Helen Mirren, Anna Netrebko, Rudolf Nureyev, Diana Rigg, and many more. Some familiarity with the 4 Shakespeare plays is recommended. Instructor: Thomas Gruenewald See this instructor's bio | ||||
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"Poetry explains depths of thought and feeling that civilization requires for its survival". In a discussion group format we will consider some poems by about fifteen twentieth century poets, including TS Eliot, eecommings, Richard Wilbur, William Stafford, Mary Oliver, James Dickey, Billy Collins and others.. Participants may read their favorite poems from poets included or may contribute supplementary information about them. An outline will be provided later, and, though no texts are required, I recommend 100 Essential Modern Poems by Joseph Parisi and How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry by Richard Hass. Both books are available on Amazon or by order from Oblong Books. Instructor: Maura Wolf See this instructor's bio | ||||
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In this course we will examine Hamilton's early life, his role during the Revolutionary war, his writings on the United States Constitution issues and the duel with Burr on the Hudson that ended his remarkable life. In our analysis of Hamilton and his contributions to the United States we will find many connections with issues in the news today. Instructor: See this instructor's bio | ||||
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The westward expansion of Americans from the 17th century to the present has been labeled by historians as "Manifest Destiny". Manifest for whom? From a Native American perspective, it could well be renamed "Broken Treaties, Inc." In this course we will use documentary films to examine this tragic feature of American history. Cherokee, Sioux, Lakota Indian tribes and others were forced from their land onto reservations, against their will and at great expense to them, their families, and their traditions. Instructor: Laurance Rand See this instructor's bio |
