Russian Opera: From Glinka to Shostakovich

In this course, we explore the evolution of Russian opera from its19th century beginnings to the Soviet era. We trace how composers blended folk traditions, Orthodox chant, and European operatic forms to create a distinctly Russian voice. We listen to key works by Glinka, Dargomyzhsky, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, considering their historical context, dramatic structures, and musical language. Through listening and discussion, this course highlights themes of nationalism, politics, and identity as they play out on the operatic stage. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for the duration of the course.