SCHUBERT THE SONGMASTER
LECTURE SERIES SIX TUESDAY EVENINGS
FEBRUARY 21-MARCH 27 7-9 p.m.
WITH RUSSELL STEINBERG, PH.D.
MILKEN COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL (ACROSS FROM THE SKIRBALL CENTER)
Complete Series: $150
Individual Evenings: $35
To me he is like a child of the gods, who plays with Jupiter's thunder, albeit also occasionally handling it oddly. But he plays in such a region, at such a height, to which others are far short of raising themselves…
Johannes Brahms writing about Franz Schubert
The greatest songwriter lived only 31 years. He never wrote a concerto; his operas were unsuccessful, his symphonies unperformed. Yet Franz Schubert not only left a legacy as the most gifted song master, but also as the composer who fused song form into sonata, evolving the language of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven into the Romantic Era. These talks explore Schubert’s songs and their connection to his piano, chamber, and symphonic music. Each evening emphasizes listening skills using recordings, piano demonstrations, class participation, and some special guest performances, all to make classical music more approachable and enjoyable for both novices and experienced music lovers.
Lecture 1 February 21
Schubert’s Life and Songs
Selection of Songs: Erlkönig, Gretchen am Spinnrade,
An die Musik, Die Forelle (The Trout), Der Doppelgänger
Lecture 2 February 28
Song Cycle: Winterreise (Winter’s Journey)
Lecture 3 March 6
Piano music
Impromptus D. 899, D. 935
Sonata in A Minor D. 845
Lecture 4 March 13
Chamber Music
String Quartet #14 in D minor (“Death and the Maiden”) D. 810
Piano Trio #2 in E-flat Major D. 929
Lecture 5 March 20
Symphony in a Drawer
Symphony No. 8 in B minor (“Unfinished”) D. 759
Lecture 6 March 27
Late Schubert
String Quintet in C Major D. 956
Piano Sonata in B-flat Major D. 960
Complete Series: $150
Individual Evenings: $35
Comments from Russell Steinberg’s lectures:
The concert was wonderful but made more enjoyable after your talk. The fellow sitting next to me, who I never saw before, kept referring to your comments.
Howard Ader
I thoroughly enjoy your wonderful lectures. They are educational, interactive and fun! I also appreciate the genuine passion you express.
Sue Chen
I must tell you that your Upbeat Live talks are the best, most engaging, fun and informative. How often do we get to sing a Mahler symphony?
Nita Heimbaugh - (a Philharmonic REGULAR!)
You filled those 40 minutes with more upbeat, enthusiastic and exciting intertwining facts than anyone I have ever heard.
Robert Wood
People were blown away by Russell Steinberg's Audiomaps and found them exceptionally useful, even when I had less than an hour to show how they work and what they mean. Several people (one of them a 90-year-old former teacher) said, ‘How could I have lived this many years, and listened to music this long, and never had that explained to me before?’
Robert Bragonier