| Department of Classics | University of Colorado at Boulder | May 2000 |
Table of Contents
Meet our Undergraduate Scholarship Award Winners
Graduate Students Prepare for Commencement
Students and Faculty Enjoy Winter Retreat
UCB Classics Opens a "Washington Branch"
Classics Department Reaches Out to Community and State
CU Classics Department Home Page
University of Colorado at Boulder Home Page
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Department of Classics
University of Colorado at Boulder
HUMN 340
Campus Box 248
Boulder, Colorado 80309
New Classics Courses Offered
It seems as if each new semester brings with it a new Classics course. In spring 2000 Prof. Schutrumpf is teaching for the first time a new course "Greek and Roman Antiquity in Music from 1600". The idea of developing such a course came after watching a performance of H. Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" broadcast on PBS a couple of years ago. There are many topics from Greek and Roman literature which have inspired composers. Research into this subject brought interesting results. European opera owes its existence to the attempt by Italian classical scholars of the Renaissance who wanted to revive ancient Greek music, that is, monody accompanied by stringed instruments. First to put this idea into practice was the classical scholar G. Mei in cooperation V. Galilei (the father of the astronomer). Only a decade after their first attempts, the first masterpieces of opera were written, such C. Monteverdi's "Orfeo" or his "Arianna," and later his "Coronation of Poppaea". Ancient Greek monody became modern recitativo and solo aria.
Topics in this new course are Lully's "Alcestis", Handel's "Semele", Gluck's "Iphigeneia among the Taurians", Beethoven's "Creatures of Prometheus" and many more. In the final weeks of the semester, the class turned to 20th century examples: R. Strauss' "Ariadne on Naxos", Strawinski's "Oedipus Rex", and Brecht-Dessau's "Sentencing of Lucullus". In class the ancient stories are discussed and compared with the modern versions, and then the class listens to selected musical parts. The course demonstrates the vitality ancient myths and historical events had for the creativity of some of the greatest artists of the last four centuries.
Next fall, Profs. Conlin and Lenski will offer a team-taught, graduate level course on Roman numismatics. Students will explore the history, economics, iconography and propagandistic value of coins in the Roman world. Students will research both the current numismatic holdings in the CU museum and an outstanding collection to be lent by a local benefactor. This will allow students an excellent cross-section of unique and informative Roman issues.
Students will identify specific coin types and explore the political messages of obverse and reverse designs and legends. The seminar will then prepare an exhibition with student-designed displays and label copy for a public exhibition in the Special Collections facilities at Norlin Library. We encourage all graduate students to join us for this rare opportunity to experience hands-on research with an extraordinary collection of Roman coins.
