LIB512
Ballets in 19th-Century France: Stories, Composers, Music
Ballet is a universally loved musical and dramatic artform, and we can gain a deeper appreciation of its beauty by considering ballet’s spectacular rise to popularity in France during the mid-19th century. This course will delve into the literary sources and music of some of the most beloved French Romantic ballets, focusing in particular on the work of two great composers: Adolphe Adam (1803-1856), composer of Giselle and Le Corsaire; and Leo Delibes (1836-1891), composer of Coppelia and Sylvia.
This course is offered online.
A $50 discount is available during check-out for adults 55+.
Overview
Location: Online
Format: Self-paced with weekly virtual class
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $180 plus GST
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
- Tue, Jan 13, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Tue, Jan 20, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Tue, Jan 27, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Tue, Feb 3, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Tue, Feb 10, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
- Tue, Feb 17, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (virtual class)
Course outline
- Week 1
Beginnings; La Fille mal gardée and La Sylphide; innovations in ballet technique and apparel. - Week 2
Adolphe Adam’s Giselle (1841), after Heinrich Heine’s De l'Allemagne and Victor Hugo’s Les Orientales. - Week 3
Adam’s Le Corsaire (1856), after the poem The Corsair by Lord Byron. - Week 4
Leo Delibes’s Coppelia (1870), after E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann. - Week 5
Delibes’s Sylvia (1876), after Tasso’s Aminta. - Week 6
The rise of ballet in Russia; Ludwig Minkus (1826-1917) and other composers.
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Appreciate the musical and dramatic forms of ballet, particularly those ballets created in the 19th century
- Identify leading composers and literary sources of ballet in the period
- Recognize innovative developments in ballet technique at this time
How you will learn
- Participation in Zoom lectures
- Participation in class discussions
- Supplementary resources accessed through Canvas
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.
Technical Requirements
For online courses, you will need a computer with audio and microphone that is connected to the internet. Canvas is the online system that will be used for the course. For more information and online support, visit Online Learning.