Special Lecture on Advanced Topics in Social and Human Sciences SB 3

Academic unit or major

Graduate major in Social and Human Sciences

Instructor(s)

Taro Yamazaki

Class Format

Lecture (Face-to-face)

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

5-6 Tue (W9-707)

Class

3

Course Code

SHS.L418

Number of credits

100

Course offered

2026

Offered quarter

2Q

Syllabus updated

Mar 5, 2026

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

Course Subtitle: “Mozart’s Opera The Magic Flute and the Enlightenment”

Opera, a Gesamtkunstwerk in which music, text, and visual elements are integrated into a unified whole, also serves as a mirror reflecting society. In this course, we will focus on Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute.
(1) Through analysis of the libretto and the music, we will shed light on the relationship between sound and language. At the same time, from the perspectives of (2) historical context (culture, history, and intellectual thought) and (3) reception (performance history and contemporary productions), we will explore the work’s underlying messages and deepen our understanding of European—particularly German-speaking—culture and society.

Course description and aims

１）To become familiar with the appeal of opera as a Gesamtkunstwerk in which language, music, and visual elements are intertwined to portray human passions and the realities of society.

２）Through Mozart’s opera, to deepen understanding of eighteenth-century European culture, history, and intellectual thought.

３）By exploring various stagings of The Magic Flute, to appreciate the work’s multifaceted nature and its continuing relevance to contemporary society.

Keywords

Gesamtkunstwerk、Music、Language、Staging、18th Century Europe:Culture and History、The Enlightenment

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

① Following the flow of the drama, we will watch selected scenes on DVD. By closely reading the libretto and examining its relationship to the music, we will introduce various interpretations of individual numbers and scenes.
While this constitutes the core of the course, the following themes will be incorporated as appropriate:

② Mozart’s life and personality — the role of the musician during the transition from aristocratic to bourgeois society

③ The Enlightenment, civil society, and Freemasonry

④ Mozart’s position in the history of opera and in the development of operatic forms

⑤ What is staging? (the history of stage direction and a variety of contemporary productions)

Course schedule/Objectives

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

Instructions or handouts at the beginning of each class

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Instructions or handouts at the beginning of each class

Evaluation methods and criteria

Weekly reflection assignments (50 points) + Final paper (50 points)

Related courses

• LAH.S447 ： Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences56:Archaeology & Biological Anthropology
• LAH.C661 ： Collaboration across STEM and Liberal Arts: Decoding Human Evolution & Culture through Innovative Science & Technology [1]
• LAH.C660 ： Collaboration across STEM and Liberal Arts: Decoding Human Evolution & Culture through Innovative Science & Technology [2]

Prerequisites

Those who don’t have any knowledge about opera are as welcome as great fans of opera, as long as they can follow basic attendance manner (which overlaps with that for seeing operas in a theater) and show enthusiasm and interests to participate in classes through reading reference books and prints, watching and listening to visual and audio materials, and writing assignments.

Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).

yamazaki[at]ila.titech.ac.jp

Office hours

The instructor will indicate during the class.