Seminar on Italian music

In each session a particular musical genre will be presented. After an introduction to the genre, students will listen to pieces of music and examine some of the texts of the songs.

The seminar will include:

• A survey of Italian popular (folk) music: regional differences, cross-cultural influences, and characteristic instruments.
• Classical music and opera, from the middle-ages to the present.
• The music of the most important Italian chansonniers from the fifties to the present, with special attention to the lyrics.