VIVE LA FRANCE! A FESTIVAL OF FRENCH MUSIC THROUGH THE AGES
Elizabeth Handley, musicologist, independent lecturer for the Arts Society, United Kingdom
Saturday 28 January
10.00 am–12.00 pm
COURSE FEES R220
France has produced an extraordinary panoply of versatile and brilliant composers and much fine music over the past ten centuries. The country has also been host to many remarkable immigrants such as Lully, Chopin, Stravinsky and Copland. To this day there is always much musical activity: concerts in churches, cathedrals and concert halls, opera and ballet in the famous opera houses and theatres, recitals, international competitions and gala events. The influence of French music on composers elsewhere in the world has been immeasurable, leading to exciting new schools of thought.
In this double lecture we take a colourful journey through the history of French music, along with the current political and historical events that shaped it. The presentation is enhanced with ample images and musical illustrations.