MUHS3061: Vienna as City of Music in the Long Nineteenth Century

What you'll do in this course:

• Discover Austria's history through music, from the roots of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the Fin de Siècle and the prologue to World War I
• Explore the complex relationship between cultural and political change in the 19th century
• Travel to Vienna and Salzburg to experience Austria's musical and cultural legacies firsthand

Try this course if you:

• Want to know why, when it was first invented, the waltz was considered scandalous
• Are curious about the role art and artists play in society at large, and how perceptions of that role have changed across time
• Are ready to learn about music history in a tight-knit community (and maybe try a sachertorte...)

The Austrian capital of Vienna proudly touts itself today as “Musikstadt Wien,” or “Vienna, City of Music.” This claim largely hinges on the presence of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schoenberg, and dozens of other world-class musicians who called the city home between c. 1780 and 1913. This course examines these musicians—their compositions, writings, and other activities—against the changing artistic, social, and political climate of the “long” nineteenth century. Focus on primary sources, local institutions, and performances; knowledge of foreign language or music notation not necessary. This course concludes with a week-long tour of Vienna.

Please note that this itinerary may change prior to the start of the semester!

Day 1 – Overnight flight to Vienna

Day 2 – Salzburg City Walk; welcome dinner

Day 3 – Hohensalzburg fortress visit; Eliette and Herbert von Karajan Institute visit; Salzburg Cathedral visit

Day 4 – Travel to Vienna; guided sightseeing tour

Day 5 – Haydn House visit; Mozarthaus visit; Vienna Central Cemetery visit 

Day 6 - Schönbrunn Palace visit

Day 7 - State Hall visit; Musikverein visit; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performance

Day 8 - Wien Museum Karlsplatz visit; Leopold Museum visit; United Nations city; farewell dinner

Day 9 - Return flight to United States