The module explores European art music from the 1870s to the 1920s, examining a range of genres from a diverse collection of composers and cultural backgrounds, sensitive to the broader cultural contexts in which music was being written. Students will scrutinize the transition from ‘Romantic’ aesthetics to a plurality of early modernist trends at the turn of the twentieth century, taking a close look at some fascinating repertoire, both canonical and non-canonical. We will study using a range of strategies, examining source readings, close reading of musical scores and recordings, critically evaluating contemporary writing, introducing philosophical and psychological trends that helped to shape the music of the period.