MU 248 - Music, Politics, and Culture in the Austrian Empire

Centered around a two-week study abroad trip to Vienna, this course is an in-depth study of the complex interaction of music, politics, and culture in the capital of the Holy Roman, Austrian, and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Beginning with the Baroque splendor of the imperial Habsburg court and the Catholic church, we will continue to the patronage system in which aristocrats and composers such as Mozart and Beethoven formed mutually beneficial partnerships. Next, we will examine such interrelated themes as the emergence of the middle class, public concert life, and nationalism in the nineteenth century. We will conclude with a look at Vienna before, during, and after the two world wars, events that both marked the end of the city’s dominance as a musical, political, and cultural capital, and contributed to the spread of the Viennese musical language throughout the world.

Note: Meets Aesthetic and Creative Engagement (AEST) and Global Engagement (GLOB) Learning Outcomes.

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