MIT MIT-OCW
Symphony and Concerto
MIT's survey of orchestral masterworks spans three centuries, from the 1720s to the 1990s, covering 34 symphonies and 24 concertos. Students work with 18 miniature scores in class discussion, and prior score-reading experience is recommended. The course is participatory: each student gives oral presentations on composers and their symphonies or concertos, and writes three papers, each reviewing a concert attended during the term. Materials available through MIT OpenCourseWare include the syllabus, listening list, and assignment structure for this discussion-based seminar on the orchestral repertoire, tracing how the symphony and concerto forms evolved from the Baroque and Classical eras through the twentieth century.