Exploring and understanding the beauty of classical music
14 – 21 August, 2010

A course which will help you to make the most from your enjoyment of music, exploring questions such as:

• are we making the most of our listening experience?
• what makes music work?
• how do different interpretations affect the music?
• how do you recognise a composer’s style?

Classical music remains the bedrock of our cultural music tradition. Its many thousands of followers range from the deeply knowledgeable to those who simply love the music, and this course is designed for those who want to learn more about its rich and fascinating history.

Mike will put the works of the great composers into context within an informal and entertaining learning environment. It is structured around daily workshops lasting for about 3 hours, and includes CD concert programs and frequent opportunities for group discussion

Over the week we will cover the following topics:

1. The development of tonality
2. The Classical era: Haydn and Mozart
3. Beethoven symphonies
4. Beethoven piano sonatas and piano concertos
5. The Romantics era: Chopin, Schumann and Brahms
6. Tone Poems - how composers depict images and stories in music
7. Mahler symphonies
8. French Impressionism
9. The 20th Century and the ‘naughty boys’

Course leader Mike Smith is currently Station Manager of Sydney’s fine music radio station, 2MBS-FM. He is also a popular presenter on 2MBS, having been a volunteer programmer and presenter there since 1995. This will be his third visit to Daku Resort.

Mike is a graduate in Music and Electronics, who worked in the Information Technology industry for 20 years, until the opportunity of following his real passion took precedence over a good salary, and in 2001 Mike accepted a full-time position with 2MBS-FM as Business Development Manager. He was appointed as Station Manager in 2004, but continues to present the Breakfast program every Friday morning, the monthly ‘Sydney Symphony’ program and the popular, slightly more eccentric, ‘Pets Choice’ program.

Even though Mike modestly refers to himself as ‘a strictly amateur pianist’, he performs private, informal recitals regularly at his Northern Beaches home where he lives with wife, Sarah, and a somewhat unappreciative cat, which is suspected of being tone deaf.

Programme

The programme for each day is built around morning workshops of approximately 3 hours. The afternoon will have time for local excursions and free time for having a massage, swimming and snorkelling, going out in the boat, hiking in the bush – or just relaxing. There will be evening entertainment including the showing of music DVDs and discussion.

Saturday 14 August
Aarrive Nadi.  Fly straight on to Savusavu.

Sunday 15 August
9.30am – 12.30pm:  Introductory session: The Development of Tonality and Sonata Form (Bach, Mozart and Haydn)
1.00pm:  Lunch
2.00pm:  Coconut demonstration
Afternoon free for swimming, snorkeling, relaxing.
6.30pm:  Pre-dinner drinks. Dinner.

Monday 16 August
9.30am – 12.30pm:  Workshop – The Beethoven Symphonies
1.00pm:  Lunch
Afternoon: Visit to Savusavu town.
7.00pm:  Dinner.

Tuesday 17 August
9.30am – 12.30pm: Workshop – The Beethoven Piano Sonatas and Concertos
1.00pm:  Lunch
2.00pm – 4.30pm:  Boat / beach outing
7.00pm:  Dinner

Wednesday 18 August
9.30am – 12.30pm:  Workshop – The Rise of Romanticism (Chopin, Schumann and Brahms)
1.00pm:  Lunch
Afternoon free for swimming, snorkeling, relaxing.
6.00pm:  Drinks at Savusavu Yacht Club; dinner in town.

Thursday 19 August
9.30am – 12.30pm:  Workshop – From the Influence of Liszt to the Symphonies of Mahler
1.00pm:  Lunch
4.00pm:  Visit to Vivili village; traditional meke.
7.00pm:  Dinner

Friday 20 August
9.30am – 12.30pm:  Workshop – Final session – 20th Century – Impressionism, Neo-Classicism, the ‘Naughty Boys’
and Modern Trends.
1.00pm:  Lunch
Afternoon:  Free time. Options for private tours, relaxing.
7.00pm:  Final Dinner

Saturday 21 August
Return home.