Jacquelyne Silver: The Great Composers
Each of Jacquelyn Silver’s series of lectures covers two contemporaneous composers. These are composers who forever altered the course of musical history and changed our lives profoundly. Silver will examine musical styles and the way each one heard the magical messages that made them unique. The May 16 lecture looks at Beethoven and Schubert. Beethoven stormed into the world and made himself at home. A remarkable pianist and composer of supreme originality, he was struck down by a shattering blow: he began to lose his hearing in his late 20s. But his immense spirit and will to overcome prevailed: Beethoven went on to write his greatest works when he was completely deaf. Franz Schubert, an ardent admirer of Beethoven, was a master of melody, composing over 600 songs. He remains one of the best-loved composers of the Romantic Era.