Master's in Active Listening
About the course
Behind the term “MBA” (Master in Business Administration) as applied to the Master’s in Good Listening lies a metaphor —not without a touch of humour— that evokes the intelligent administration of sensitivity and the way it negotiates with music, its language, its history, and its creators and performers within the framework of the Palau’s musical activity. Classical music contains complex levels of beauty that require more than simply sitting down to listen. Two courses in which we will go beyond the simple judgement of “I like it – I don’t like it” and train ourselves in good listening by discovering the essential tools for approaching music: from the foundations of its language to its instruments, artists and history. Carlos Calderón, PhD in Humanities, musician and historian, will guide us, accompanied by guest lecturers, on this fascinating path of knowledge.
MORE MUSICAL LIFE: By enrolling in the MBA, you will not only have access to around fifteen sessions of 3 hours each, but throughout the season you will also receive proposals for exclusive activities, invitations and special prices for concerts at the Palau, as well as content tailored to your interests.
All registrations include access to the Aula Palau virtual campus, where you will be able to consult and review all the course sessions.
Level 1 (in-person or online format)
The MBA · Master in Good Listening Course offers tools to identify the elements of music, such as Language; it invites participants to explore the historical contexts and historiographical debates surrounding the Creation of the work, the author and their time and, finally, encourages the development of a systematic reflection on what Recreation or the interpretation of a piece means, both throughout history and in today’s contexts. A journey that will take us from the origins of sound to the heights reached by Beethoven’s Ninth.
Fifteen sessions over fifteen Fridays: 9 and 23 October, 6 November, 11 December, 15 and 22 January, 26 February, 12 March, 2, 9, 16 and 30 April, 14 and 21 May, and 11 June.
Time: from 5 pm to 8 pm, with a break
Price: €450 in person
ONLINE TRAINING WITH ACCESS TO ALL 15 SESSIONS.
Price: €250 online
Level 2 (online)
Course aimed at students of the first online MBA course of the 2025-26 season
Once the first level of the MBA has been completed, aspects such as the different definitions of music, the concept of sound, the materiality of instruments and the historical keys that have led us to the essential link that is Beethoven’s Ninth have been consolidated. This piece is the culmination of everything that has been explained and will form the basis for everything that remains to be said. We will return to the fundamental equation based not only on dissemination, but also on raising awareness and providing training in order to achieve a deep and responsible capacity for listening. We will once again explore why I like what I like. This time with content that addresses the orchestra as a total instrument, the figure of the conductor of these ensembles, genres —sonata, concerto, symphony, opera...— and a final historical journey that reaches the present day. An aesthetic, philosophical and sociological path that will also lead us to understand music spaces —concert halls, festivals...— and, specifically, the Palau. The classroom that welcomes us —and where this fascinating adventure culminates.
ONLINE TRAINING WITH ACCESS TO ALL 15 SESSIONS.
Price: €250