The Marshall University School of Music and Theatre’s “MUsic Mondays” will present the third lecture of the spring series at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 11, at the Cellar Door, 905 3rd Ave., Huntington.
The lecture, “Cheerful Feelings in the Country: Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony,” will explore Beethoven’s musical means of expressing the pastoral or countryside. Lead presenter Dr. Vicki Stroeher, professor of music history at Marshall, said that Beethoven’s symphony is one of the most representative examples of pictorial music.
“Beethoven loved to visit the countryside,” Stroeher said. “He found solace and peace there that he was not able to in the city, especially after he began to lose his hearing. It’s interesting that he first realized that his hearing was fading while he was in the country. According to a letter he wrote to his brothers, a friend pointed out a shepherd’s call to his flock, but he could not hear it. It must have been devastating to him. This symphony, which explores elements of the countryside, is a reaction to his advancing deafness and ultimate fate.”
The spring series, titled “Music for the Season,” is investigating music that reflects the season for which it was written. On May 9, the series will explore Benjamin Britten’s Spring Symphony, which concludes aptly with the medieval English round, “Sumer is icumen in” (“Summer is Coming In”).
Seating is limited. Participants are invited to arrive early to enjoy conversation and refreshments.
Each lecture costs $10, payable at the door. Checks should be made payable to Marshall University. All proceeds will go to support the music program.
For more information about “MUsic Mondays,” call the School of Music and Theatre at 304-696-3117.