Welcome to Beyond the Notes' companion for The Course of Empire, a string quartet composed by Nell Shaw Cohen (b. 1988) and inspired by the paintings of Thomas Cole (1801-1848). Explore this website to learn more about the paintings, the music, and the connections between them.
The Course of Empire string quartet was performed live in conjunction with an exhibit of the paintings by members of A Far Cry at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA on July 30, 2011 as part of the Inspired by the Land festival, at the opening of the national touring exhibit Painting the American Vision. It will be performed again at a concert of music inspired by visual art on November 2, 2011 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA.
Visit Beyond the Notes: Music Inspired by Art for a new version of The Course of Empire companion, and companions for other works of music inspired by artists including Georgia O'Keeffe, Charles Burchfield, Michelangelo, and Hiroshige!
This website is the first not-for-profit educational resource created by Beyond the Notes, a new producer of multimedia companions for arts events. We would love to hear about your experience to help us improve our websites and mobile apps in the future. Please consider filling out this survey with your feedback.
VIDEO: Music and The Course of Empire 
