We will investigate a small cross-section of these, produced in different eras and in different countries, beginning with the sound of Shakespearean dramas, and examining "reconstructed Shakespeare" (including ways in which his plays were adapted, modified, and sometimes mangled by producers and the musicians they hired during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries). We will look at modernized and popularized Shakespeare, particularly the influential film scores by William Walton and the ever-popular Broadway hit West Side Story. And we will compare operatic versions of Shakespearean plays to see how a libretto is put together and what the music contributes to the drama--and perhaps what it takes away. We end with "Shakespeare without words"--orchestral music that claims a Shakespearean connection, including Tchaikovsky's fantasy-overture and a Prokofiev ballet suite on Romeo and Juliet.
Credit?
Arts and Science--humanities and writing
Engineering--humanities
Peabody--humanities (for most majors) and writing