In this course we will look at two Italian composers with a passion for passion: Verdi’s Rigoletto, Il Trovatore , La Traviata and Puccini’s La Boheme, Tosca and Madama Butterfly all revolve around intense scenes in which high drama and high emotion are exquisitely echoed and amplified by their musical scores. Verdi’s scenes revolve around family ties: father and daughter, mother and son, father and son’s lover. Puccini puts young love, tyranny and false hopes under the spotlight.

Ian France (Cumbria www.highamhall.com/ian-france)

Residential: £290 Non-residential: £210