For centuries Vienna has been considered 'Music Capital of the World.' It has been a residence to some of the greatest composers in music history including Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Mahler, Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, among others. The unique characteristic of openness, multinationalism and diversity has enabled Vienna to turn into a place of tremendous cultural wealth. The class will explore this city and its surroundings as a focal point for artistic, literary, and scholarly exchange. 1 unit - Ben-Amots, M. Grace

The class will convene for a week-long study at Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Northern Germany. Lüneburg, is an important milestone for the young 13-15 year-old Bach who served as a choir-boy at the St. Michael Church in that small city. During this week we will study Bach’s music in historical and theoretical/compositional perspectives. After the Lüneburg week, the class will travel to other cities where Bach lived and worked, including Eisenach — his birth place — Weimar, Arnstadt, Köthen and Leipzig where he had his last job. In each of these locations we will focus on and analyze related compositions, while exploring both the historical and social aspects of Bach's time. We will attend many concerts of Bach’s music, concluding with a performance of the Christmas Oratorio in St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, the same church where it was performed for the first time in 1734. Through the investigation of Bach’s most significant sacred and secular works we will further explore Bach’s enormous influence on western musical tradition from the late baroque on. Ultimately, we will discover what makes Bach one of the most important composers in the history of mankind. 1 unit - Ben-Amots, Chang