The Romantics' Shakespeare

John Michael Cooper

Summer II, 2004

If it is true that Shakespeare ranks as the most widely known author in all of English literature, it is also true that there is no single “historical” Shakespeare. Scholars and artists have continually rewritten the identity of this most celebrated of all past English artists to suit the needs of their own varying times and places. Consequently, his existence as a biographical and literary figure has, in a very real sense, been obscured by their creative abilities and ideological leanings. Shakespeare has become a potent artistic weapon in the ideological arsenals of a variety of diverse and often-contradictory artistic and political movements. Nowhere is this phenomenon more prominently and rewardingly exemplified than in nineteenth-century composers’ responses to and interpretations of Shakespeare’s texts.

This course explores ways in which Shakespeare’s works stimulated the imaginations of Romantic composers and were brought into those composers’ respective artistic and political discourses.  Students will of course read the complete texts of various works by Shakespeare; these works constitute the primary organization of the course. For each work by Shakespeare we will study works from a variety of musical genres, moving chronologically within each genre. Repertoire will be chosen from works by Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Verdi, Brahms, and Strauss.