Monday   

In this 6-week course, we will start by looking at some of the earliest images of New York and discover the early artists who created them.  We'll next look at the late 19th and early 20th century, when the Ashcan School took a grittier look at the tenements and slums of New York. We'll then move to the post-WWII movement, known as Abstract Expressionism, and see what a global impact artists like Pollock, de Kooning, and others had on modern art. We'll then look at Pop Art, which arrived as a counterpoint. Who better than this New York boy to show you how the city became a visual icon and why it attracted so many wonderful artists? Ultimately, we'll have a terrific time looking at great art together.

In this 6-week course, we will start by looking at some of the earliest images of New York and discover the early artists who created them.  We'll next look at the late 19th and early 20th century, when the Ashcan School took a grittier look at the tenements and slums of New York. We'll then move to the post-WWII movement, known as Abstract Expressionism, and see what a global impact artists like Pollock, de Kooning, and others had on modern art. We'll then look at Pop Art, which arrived as a counterpoint. Who better than this New York boy to show you how the city became a visual icon and why it attracted so many wonderful artists? Ultimately, we'll have a terrific time looking at great art together.

Opera fans love Giacomo Puccini.  His beautiful operas like La Boheme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot thrill us with his soaring melodies and move us with his pathos. But let’s take a closer look at Puccini’s world and discover what lies behind the music. No previous opera background required.  Just watch, listen, and enjoy.

Course Outline

Class I: The "Unknown Puccini: his early operas and his first big hit, "Manon Lescaut"
Class 2: The big favorites: "La Boheme" and "Madama Butterfly"
Class 3: "The Girl of the Golden West" and "La Rondine" ("The Swallow)
Class 4: "Il Trittico" (The Triple-Bill) and the great final masterpiece "Turandot"--the source of the beloved aria 'Nessun dorma"

Opera fans love Giacomo Puccini.  His beautiful operas like La Boheme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot thrill us with his soaring melodies and move us with his pathos. But let’s take a closer look at Puccini’s world and discover what lies behind the music. No previous opera background required.  Just watch, listen, and enjoy.

Course Outline

Class I: The "Unknown Puccini: his early operas and his first big hit, "Manon Lescaut"
Class 2: The big favorites: "La Boheme" and "Madama Butterfly"
Class 3: "The Girl of the Golden West" and "La Rondine" ("The Swallow)
Class 4: "Il Trittico" (The Triple-Bill) and the great final masterpiece "Turandot"--the source of the beloved aria 'Nessun dorma"