Exploring Piano Literature: The Piano Sonata

Course Overview

In this 3-course specialization, learners will analyze important passages and components of the piano sonata repertoire, while gaining a solid knowledge of the sonata’s inner workings and a better sense of historical developments in the genre. Across the series, learners will dive into compositions by Scarlatti, CPE Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Scriabin, Medtner, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, and others. These courses were filmed at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, among other locations, to showcase the depth of the sonata repertoire and the instruments that contributed to its history.