Music: Controversies and Curiosities OOL (Zoom)
Osher Online - Spring | Available (Membership Required)
Music has always stirred controversy - sometimes through bold originality, other times through scandal. In the Classical tradition, composers like Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Smetana pushed boundaries that shocked audiences and critics. On Broadway and in Hollywood, changing attitudes toward race, consent, gender, and sexuality have prompted debates and revisions of works such as Annie Get Your Gun and South Pacific. Is political correctness a step forward in creating more inclusive art, or does it risk silencing important cultural heritage? Should works reflecting outdated views on religion, domestic violence, or prejudice be altered—or preserved as historical context? We will also explore plagiarism and musical borrowing in pop and film music, including controversies surrounding The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Peter Frampton. Filled with audiovisual examples, anecdotes, and humor, this course offers a lively dive into music’s most provocative debates and scandals.
Note: Registration for the Spring Osher National Online courses will close on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Noon!
Osher Online courses are not recorded.
Emanual Abramovits
Emanuel Abramovits, MBA, is a mechanical engineer and has also been a concert promoter for over two decades. He is directly involved in events by international artists like Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, Sarah Brightman, Roger Hodgson, ASIA, Journey, Kenny G., and many more. Abramovits has designed and staged many original orchestral events, including an Event of the Year winner and several world premieres. He served as the cultural director at Union Israelita De Caracas from 2008 to 2019, releasing books and organizing film cycles, concerts, and art exhibits. He consistently teaches online and in-person across the US.