Tutor information
Jonathan Darnborough
Jonathan Darnborough is Director of Studies in Music and Departmental Lecturer in Music at Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. He is a composer and pianist and has worked in continuing education throughout his career. He was a prize-winner in the 1992 Franco-Italian Piano Competition in Paris and he has performed throughout Britain, as well as in Europe, the USA and Indonesia.
Courses
The aim of musical analysis is to understand how music exerts such a powerful effect on us. This course introduces some of the main approaches as we attempt to bridge the gap between our intuitions about music and our intellectual knowledge of it.
The aim of musical analysis is to understand how music exerts such a powerful effect on us. This course introduces some of the main approaches as we attempt to bridge the gap between our intuitions about music and our intellectual knowledge of it.
Bel canto simply means beautiful singing but the expression is particularly associated with the operas of Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and early Verdi. This course looks at their major works, and the roots of their music in the Italian vocal tradition.
Explore piano repertoire, interpretation and technique in a lively mixture of talks and workshops, in which all students will have regular opportunities to play. This class is open to players of all levels and you may join the class in any term.
How does music communicate and arouse emotion? Does it have meaning and, if so, what does it mean? This hybrid day school will explore some of the recent research that is starting to suggest answers to these, often hotly debated, questions.
The sweeping melodies, pungent harmonies and sheer passion of Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto ensure its enduring popularity. We will explore its background, look in detail at the music itself and discuss interpretation in performing the concerto.
This term’s analysis concentrates upon works from the Classical and Romantic periods. Different works may require slightly different approaches but common principles of analysis will be developed.
Explore piano repertoire, interpretation and technique in a lively mixture of talks and workshops, in which all students will have regular opportunities to play. This class is open to players of all levels and students may join the class in any term.
Connections between music and mathematics have been recognised since the time of the ancient Greeks. In this day school, Marcus du Sautoy, Roy Howat and Robert Laidlow will investigate the nature of those connections.
This is a course for anyone who loves music but feels they want to understand it better. It explores music in a non-technical way from the point of view of the listener, aiming to give the listener a deeper sense of involvement in the music.
Chopin's music has beguiled generations of audiences with its lyricism and drama. This course will chart his creative development, as we follow Chopin’s life and music from the prodigy in Warsaw to the ailing genius in Paris.
Explore piano repertoire, interpretation and technique in a lively mixture of talks and workshops, in which all students will have regular opportunities to play. This class is open to players of all levels and students may join the class in any term.
“Classical” music comes in an enormous range of styles and national traditions, spanning hundreds of years. We will explore music in a (mostly) non-technical way, aiming to give listeners a deeper sense of understanding and involvement in the music.