The Piano Sonata: Origins to Mozart (Coursera)

This course was filmed at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, among other locations, to showcase the depth of the sonata repertoire and the instruments that contributed to its history.

Course 1 of 3 in the Exploring Piano Literature: The Piano Sonata Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Setting the Stage

In the first week, you'll be introduced to the course structure and to the fundamentals surrounding sonata form and the history of the genre.

WEEK 2

Dawn of the Sonata

In this week, we'll learn more about the dawn of the solo keyboard sonata: its origins, influences, and some of the early composers. You'll also be introduced to various keyboard instruments of the period that influenced compositional style, including the harpsichord, clavichord, and some early pianos.

WEEK 3

Viennese Classics: Haydn and Mozart

This week discusses Haydn and Mozart, emphasizing their social-cultural context, patterns in their output of keyboard sonatas, and comparing and contrasting their styles. It also introduces the Viennese and English pianos that were popular in this period.

WEEK 4

Conclusion and Optional Honors Project

For more advanced learners, an Honors Formal Analysis is available in this final week (not required for completion of the course).