Pythagoras To Beethoven: A Hillsdale College Free Online Music Course

Trompe-l'œil Still Life of musical instruments, 18th century, by Sebastiano Lazzari. Public Domain

Concert pianist Hyperion Knight’s fondest memories date back to when he was 4 years old. After his father came home from work, they often bonded over music. The recordings his father played turned Mr. Knight into a self-professed music lover. On his ninth birthday, his father gifted him a recording of Ludwig van Beethoven’s nine symphonies and “the rest,” he remarked, “is history.”

The inspiration he experienced while hearing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 acted as a catalyst for his career. From that point on, music was Hyperion’s purpose. He debuted professionally at 14, playing Beethoven’s impressive Fourth Piano Concerto to a captivated audience. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the California native headed to Ohio, where he earned a masters and a doctorate in music from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

His academic dissertation was a nod to the childhood musical influence that had such a profound impact on his artistic journey. For the project, he covered Beethoven and his “Waldstein” Piano Sonata.

A Chance Encounter

Concert pianist Hyperion Knight will be teaching the online course at Hillsdale College. Courtesy of Hyperion Knight

Though Mr. Knight graces concert hall stages, he also enjoys performing in laid-back environments where he can let loose and have some fun with the pieces he plays. His passion for performance opened doors for him to play on cruise ships. During one of these cruises, a chance encounter put him face to face with Dr. Larry P. Arnn, the president of Michigan-based Christian liberal arts institution, Hillsdale College.

A simple chat turned into a long-term project. Between his practice and travel schedule, Mr. Knight participated in a lecture series for Hillsdale covering Russia’s rich music history. Mr. Arnn later invited the concert pianist to participate in the creation of a music history course that spans from Pythagoras to Beethoven. Now, Mr. Knight is teaching the whole series.

An Invigorating Tour of Classical Music

Pythagoras stands (bottom left), with one arm resting on this theorem and the other pointing towards a group of smiths, whose Pythagorean hammers striking metal is said to have first given him the notion of the mathematical basis of harmony. Frontispiece of "Musurgia Universalis, Volume I," 1650, by Kircher, Athanasius. Cornell University Library, New York. Public Domain

“Classical music is my greatest passion, the one that for me ennobles the human soul,” Mr. Knight said n a phone interview. As a Distinguished Fellow at Hillsdale College, he is thrilled to share with his online students the stories that shaped classical music.

Mr. Knight describes the course as “an invigorating tour of the world of classical music.” While he discusses the tremendous contributions his favorite classical composer Beethoven made to the world of music, he also takes students back to ancient Greece, to the dawn of Western civilization. To have a proper understanding of classical music, one must venture to where it all began—with the teachings of philosopher Pythagoras.

When asked about the role Pythagoras played in the shaping of music, Mr. Knight said, “It’s a story almost nobody knows, and it’s how I begin the first lecture. In bite-size form, it goes like this: Since Pythagoras first formalized music as a branch of science back in the sixth century B.C., it took over 2,000 years to agree on the best way to tune a scale. This compromise, called equal temperament, was finally arrived at near the end of the Renaissance, and great music then exploded in the Baroque era.”  

To drive home the importance of this monumental feat, he related it to one of history’s most treasured artistic achievements:

“It’s a bit like what Michelangelo said about sculpting David out of marble. David was just waiting inside the marble to be released. Likewise, the 12 notes of the chromatic scale were waiting inside nature to be sculpted into the form we know today.”

A Special Live Performance

Mozart giving a concert in the Salon Des Quatre-Glaces Au Palais Dutemple in the Court of the Prince de Conti, 1770, by Michel-Barthélémy Ollivier. Palace of Versailles. Public Domain

“The History of Classical Music: Pythagoras Through Beethoven” consists of four lectures and culminates in a 45-minute piano performance by Mr. Knight. Students get to listen with fresh ears to compositions they just learned about, picking out new elements of the pieces they might have otherwise missed without Mr. Knight’s enlightening context.

Both music novices and aficionados are encouraged to sign up. There’s a little something for everyone to learn. A student can learn about Beethoven’s symphonies and how they play out like Shakespearean dramas. They can gain a better understanding of the virtues and the important role Mozart and the characters in his operas play in flourishing cultures. Or, listeners can be immersed in the stories of Bach and Handel and gain insight into how religion was an important part of their artistic direction.

When asked about the details of the course, Mr. Knight highlighted the lectures’ well-rounded nature and how classical music’s importance transcends artists and weaves its way into the fabric of society:

“Classical music is more than just music: It’s musical architecture, musical painting, musical poetry, and musical drama—all wrapped into one. It relies on the highest set of ideals to be crafted into perfect form and it speaks to every emotion that humans possess.”

The Story of Civilization Itself

"Beethoven's Vision," 1882, by Rudolf Hausleithner. Oil on canvas. Private collection. Public Domain

Hillsdale College invites its course students to rediscover the beauty of classical music. Like Mr. Knight, the college understands the key role music plays in each individual’s life. Their course page states that music “swells our hearts in love, fills us with awe of the Divine, drives us into battle, and comforts us in moments of despair.”

Those interested in brushing up on classical music knowledge or who want to dive into the subject for the very first time will find a worthy guide in Mr. Knight. The course is full of stories, history, and a special live performance.

When reflecting on how classical music is inextricably tied to the human experience, Mr. Knight says, “classical music is a very human story, the story of our civilization itself.”

More information can be found on the Hillsdale College course page, and pre-registration is open to the public. Participants can go at their own pace and watch the first lecture now. The full course officially debuts May 7, 2024.

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