The Marshall University School of Music’s MUsic Mondays will present the second lecture of the fall series at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16, at the Cellar Door, 905 3rd Ave., Huntington. This portion of the fall series, titled “Music and National Identity,” explores the reasons why composers express a national identity in their music and the musical means they use to do so.
The lecture, “Composers and National Identity,” looks at selected works by three composers from different geographic regions: Frederic Chopin (Poland), Edvard Grieg (Norway), and Charles Ives (United States). Presenter Dr. Vicki Stroeher, professor of music history at Marshall, said that these three composers each had different reasons for expressing nationalism in their music.
“The expression of national identity in music is tied to many different factors,” Stroeher said. “Economic factors influence these composers’ decisions as does the dominance of German composers in the concert halls. And, politics, of course, are at the very heart of the matter. In addition to exploring the nationalism expressed by these composers, we’ll be taking a look at the politics involved.”
The fall series will continue through December with the following lecture topics:
Nov. 27: “A Prelude to What?” presented by Dr. Johan Botes, assistant professor of piano
Dec. 11: “Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Quintessential Englishness,” presented by Stroeher
Seating is limited. Participants are invited to arrive early to enjoy conversation and refreshments.
Organizers are asking for a $10 donation, payable at the door, to support the music program. Checks should be made payable to Marshall University. MU students receive free admission with a Marshall ID.
For more information about MUsic Mondays, call the School of Music at 304-696-3117.
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Photo: Dr. Vicki Stroeher, professor of music history, will give the next MUsic Monday lecture Oct. 16.