How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition

By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Robert Greenberg

Length: 36 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Great music is a language unto its own, a means of communication of unmatched beauty and genius. And it has an undeniable power to move us in ways that enrich our lives - provided it is understood.

If you have ever longed to appreciate great concert music, to learn its glorious language and share in its sublime pleasures, the way is now open to you, through this series of 48 wonderful lectures designed to make music accessible to everyone who yearns to know it, regardless of prior training or knowledge. It's a lecture series that will enable you to first grasp music's forms, techniques, and terms - the grammatical elements that make you fluent in its language - and then use that newfound fluency to finally hear and understand what the greatest composers in history are actually saying to us.

And as you learn the gifts given us by nearly every major composer, you'll come to know there is one we share with each of them - a common humanity that lets us finally understand that these were simply people speaking to us, sharing their passion and wanting desperately to be heard. Using digitally recorded musical passages to illustrate his points, Professor Greenberg will take you inside magnificent compositions by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Verdi, Wagner, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and more. Even if you have listened to many of these illustrative pieces throughout your life - as so many of us have - you will never hear them the same way again after experiencing these lectures.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2006 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2006 The Great Courses

Long Slog, But Totally Worth It

It took quite a while to get through this series, but it was definitely worth it. I now understand and can recognize various classical music when I hear it. Not only that, but I am seeking it out more, and I know what I like. Professor Greenberg knows his stuff. He did a great job keeping his lectures interesting and understandable. I strongly recommend this series of lectures.

I want more stars, a Heaven’s worth at least!

Wow.
I have been stunned by the silence for about an hour.
Professor Greenberg has been my constant companion for the last two (three?)weeks as I have listened to his lectures and the tantalizing excerpts of human musical mastery, sometimes repeating three or four times.
It’s like having a chat with a fabulous story teller about all the very best town gossip with just enough history and fine music to not feel guilty.
”OMG,” sometimes I would think, “I just do not have the energy for this man.” But he had all the best music. I had a friend just like that in high school: Sean Tyman could talk the ears off an elephant, but he was dynamic, funny, a deep thinker and had all the best music. He also introduced me to Lenny Bruce. I’ll bet Greenberg listened to Bruce. He is no way rude, but his allusions and cadence show a familiarity with all things human.
He brings music and all the erudite words and terms and concepts within the grasp of those who want to know, and he does not overwhelm with useless or obscure terms he will not use again. If he bothers with a new term it’s because he needs it to talk to you.
You know, like when Aunt Betty needs to know if you and she are talking about the same Smiths. She will tell you and test you so she can tell you something really good about them.
Professor Greenberg brought all these geniuses into my life. I feel like I need a new social calendar, at least a dozen new recordings, and probably an equal number of histories and biographies.
Thank you, sir, for your supreme effort.

A briilant insight into academic music

Very rich and enjoyable course, covering every aspect of this “great music” since Antique Era to the XXth Century. Excellent musical examples, deeply explained. And Greenberg is real fun to listen!

Yes!

Anything by Professor Greenberg is a treat! I listened to this one over and over and will probably listen to it again and again.

Fun | Educational | Sublime

Fun: Robert Greenberg has a great sense of humor and makes learning all this material a real joy.

Educational: He covers a lot of ground in a lot of detail and really helps the listener connect the dots.

Sublime: We really do get to listen to some masterworks in this course and Prof. Greenberg helps us see them for what they are. He's passionate about the subject and in the end, his passion made me willing to see the beauty.

I will definitely give this another listen because there's so much good stuff and it's so enjoyable to hear him talk about it.

Loved the course

This course is highly educational for even someone who knows zero about music but it is also laugh out loud funny thanks to the professor's incredible sense of humor. I loved it and now have a much greater appreciation for music that will continue to enrich my life greatly!

Very inspiring!

Prof. Greenberg is fantastic. I learned a lot and had a great time doing it. Win-win!!

More than a music lesson

Far beyond my expectations in quality of production, audience engagement and overall experience. Mr. Greenberg and his production crew have an incredible skill for compacting complicated subject matter and making it accessible to all. A lesson in history and culture wrapped in a melodic tune the listener can't get enough of. I will certainly continue with additional courses in this series and likely revisit this particular lesson in the near future.

entertaining, informative

Fun, comprehensive treatment of a subject we should all know something about. I really enjoyed this series of lectures.

Extraordinary!

I'm a music collector and have always enjoyed many genres of music (Jazz, salsa, rock, Brazilian, trios & boleros, etc). I've been listening to classical music since HS. I'm familiar with famous composers and their ovres. But I never had a music course like this. I bought the kindle book, but I really wanted to listen to the music that the author was talking about. I enjoyed some chapters so much that I listened to them again immediately. Also I needed it to understand the concepts better.