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

Excellent

Any additional comments?

The instructor is very entertaining and not monotone which the way some may expect. Excellent in covering history as it relates to music composition and sound.

So many choices and still so much to learn . . .

What other book might you compare How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition to and why?

I started listening to Dr. G about three months ago. I started with his masterworks lecture and then switched to this how-to-listen lecture. Along the way I’ve listened to lectures on composers or forms when they fit chronologically and/or when I needed more information before moving on. I’ve wondered what I should listen to next—and as I write this review, I know. My next area of ignorance is symphonies. Dr. G got me through concertos and sonatas so before I go back to masterworks, I’ve got to understand symphonies.

Any additional comments?

This has been such a surprising journey—I've learned so much about history and cultures of different countries and people and ideas and I've enjoyed so much music. More music than when I started—I even listen to Beethoven and Bartok now!

I learned something valuable

Would you listen to How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition again? Why?

I need to capture the details better so I need to re-listen and follow along with the text in order for the information to become a permanent part of my knowledge base.

What other book might you compare How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition to and why?

I know of no other book that contains the entirety of this information and therefore it is incomparable.

Have you listened to any of Professor Robert Greenberg’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first listen to Professor Greenberg

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Never. Its not possible unless you are tied to a tree and spoon fed for 45 lectures. Who might even consider that anyway? These courses are not created with that idea in mind.

Any additional comments?

I learned so much about the history of music, the language of music, and the evolution of music and why my western ears feels comfortable with music in its present form and why I enjoy the music that I do. I feel edified as a result of the read/listen. I would hope everyone gets to listen to these lectures.

Very informative !

As someone with no music background, I am very pleased with the lecture. Although it would be nice if I have the printed guide or summary while listening so I can go back to some chapters that I needed to listen again.. I am planning to listen again, although I bought several of the other lectures... I am a slow to grasp the lectures but I guess If I listen to it again and again, maybe it will help...

music as natural history of human evolution

What made the experience of listening to How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition the most enjoyable?

This is not just another music appreciation course. Prof. Greenberg revealed how the music and musicians, genius as they were, are part of evolution of mankind at large. I listen to music of different era now more than ever with more respect and appreciation.

What other book might you compare How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition to and why?

Listen to Prof. Greenberg narration make audible book a wonderful experience. There is no better way to convey the material in music other than hearing it from the professor. No book is comparable to this gem.

What about Professor Robert Greenberg’s performance did you like?

He taught us not only music but how music related to history, socioeconomic and state of the world. That is really insightful and open the mind of every listener. Apart from very informative he is an ideal lecturer, wit-full, funny, lively and make a boring subject really interesting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitly.

Any additional comments?

Enlightening

Actuación sobreactuada

Aprendí muchas cosas en el curso. No me gustó la forma de narrar. Parece contándole el cuento del lobo y las ovejitas a un grupo de niños. Totalmente fuera de tono, a veces francamente insoportable.

great listen even more for non connoisseurs

I loved it. lecturer is instilled with such a passion that is hard not to be hooked into great composers music. great sense of humor, I liked the tips to be a pretentious music know-it-all and how to deal with music snobs. I relisten some lectures due to their importance and because I really like the details given. this audiobook contains a lot of context information about historic manners and trends, live of the composers, what was society back then and much more so you can really grasp why each piece was composed in such a way. I will relisten in some months once information has sunk in a little, there is so much i can get from this book that relistening is a must at least for me. only observation is that mostly European music and composers where taken into account. no info about indigenous american music or Asian music

Awesome!

I highly recommend it to anybody who wants to learn more about classical music. The right combination of history, music extracts and theory. Loved it!

good

The narration is very emotional with very vivid language. The lectures go from dawn of music to the 20-th century. I would prefer a little bit faster (in terms of information delivery) story telling since the middle of the book.

Very educational

Long ago, over 15-20 years, I listened to Dr. Greenberg's history of classical music (?the first edition?) which was an excellent march through all the usual composers, with some explanation of the changes and contributions with lots of music. I was expecting roughly the same here. However, the emphasis is quite different and exactly what the title says. Here, the stress is on musicology. Musical forms, chord changes, the influence historical events and ethnic background on style, etc. are brought to the fore. It significantly broadened my understanding of what the composers are trying to achieve. Although it is a long presentation, it is still a survey course so it is not too deep. Also, Dr. Greenberg's presentation is entertaining and, at times, delightfully politically incorrect. Not bad for a guy who used to be in a disco band.