Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (BOLLI)

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Phillip Radoff

This course will take place in person at 60 Turner Street. The room will be equipped with a HEPA air purifier.

October 21 - November 18

This course will introduce the first of the four operas in Wagner’s tetralogy, The Ring of the Nibelung, to students not familiar with it and to also those who seek a greater appreciation of the opera. We will move scene by scene through the entire opera, discuss the characters as they enter and call attention to the key leitmotifs in each scene. As time permits, we will listen to or watch different productions of portions of the opera, and, at the conclusion of the opera we will have a look at what comes next in the Ring saga. By the end of the course, students will have learned something about Wagner’s use of leitmotifs and should be able to identify the principal leitmotifs that occur throughout the opera.

More lecture than facilitated discussion.

Students are required to have access to an audio or video recording—any recording—of the complete opera as well as a bilingual libretto. There are complete performances of the opera with English subtitles available on YouTube as well as on-line versions of the libretto in German and English. For those who wish to purchase any of these, the SGL can advise students of his favorite recordings. Supplemental reading materials will be provided by email.

One to two hours per week.

Phil Radoff started his professional life as a physicist but decided to pursue law as a career and held a number of legal positions before retiring from Raytheon. He has had a lifelong interest in classical music that led to a particular interest in opera. Since joining BOLLI Phil has led a variety of opera courses—most recently “Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro”—and has given a number of lunchtime opera talks.