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The Concerto  By  cover art

The Concerto

By: Robert Greenberg,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
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Publisher's summary

The concerto offers a kind of unique excitement no other instrumental music can match. Where a symphony enthralls us with its thematic variations and development, a concerto gives us human drama - the exhilaration of a soloist or group of soloists ringing forth against the mass of the orchestra.

In 24 musically rich lectures, Professor Greenberg provides a guided tour of the concerto, from its conception as a child of Renaissance ideals, through its maturation in the Classical age, its metamorphosis in the Romantic era, and its radical transformation in the 20th century and beyond.

You'll listen to selections from nearly 100 concerti from more than 60 composers - from Gabrieli to Gershwin, from Schumann to Shostakovich. Along with the bedrock of the repertoire - represented by Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Rachmaninoff, Bartok, and many others - you are introduced to superb concerti by a host of less-familiar masters.

You'll study in depth some of the greatest and most beloved works of the genre, including Mozart's Concerto for Flute in G Major, K. 313; Haydn's Concerto for Trumpet in E-flat Major; Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 4 in G Major, op. 58; Chopin's Piano Concerto no. 2 in F Minor, op. 21; Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 16; and Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, op. 35.

Finally, you'll look at some notoriously esoteric and difficult 20th-century composers, including Arnold Schönberg and Elliott Carter, learning how their music is much more accessible than it appears.

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

What listeners say about The Concerto

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Better than "How to Listen to...Great Music!"

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This course is indispensable for anyone who enjoys concert or symphonic music. Dr. Greenberg's _How to Listen to and Understand Great Music_ was my introduction to The Teaching Company. I saved for years to be able to buy that introductory course, and have listened to it over and over. "The Concerto" is better still, because every moment of every lecture is on point and fascinates me.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Concerto?

As a huge fan of Prokofiev, I was delighted that Dr. Greenberg spends time on the Russians, and particularly on my favorite Prokofiev concerti.

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

It is hard to imagine any performance better than these two courses. The jokes (while silly, sometimes) are amusing and Dr. Greenberg describes music in ways that really help me listen differently.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

As soon as I finished the course, I started it over again, for the sheer pleasure of learning more, going deeper, understanding ideas that I missed the first time.

Any additional comments?

I hope to be able to add more of Dr. Greenberg's courses to my audio library. "The Concerto" is a high point. I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed in this course. Get it! Listen to it! Enjoy it! You will thank me.

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14 people found this helpful

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And I am finally entering the 20th century willing

What does Professor Robert Greenberg bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

When I began "The Concerto" I thought it would be a traumatic experience. After all, when I began listening to Dr. G's lectures I had only two favorites--Bach and Mozart. Gradually, as I listened to "How to Listen to and Understand Great Music," I began to see more stars on the horizon. They weren't as bright, but they made lovely music. So I took baby steps through the Romantic Era and "Oh-my-goshed" at Schoenberg--but then I heard "To an Angel" by Berg and "The Tree of Dreams" by Dutilleux and Bartok's "Concerto for Orchestra" and I liked them! I never expected to enjoy modern composers so easily. I guess Dr. G did change my mind and my expectations.

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Good but not great

Anyone who follows my reviews knows I'm a big fan of Robert Greenberg.  I love his take on music and musical history, and while I don't always agree with him, I always find that he gives me something to think about.  He's persuaded me to give a number of composers a second or third chance, and for that alone I'd love his lectures.

I always learn a great deal from his courses, and find that when I'm fatigued by virtually every other audiobook I have available, I can turn to Professor Greenberg and be refreshed.  

Aaaaannnndddd... I wasn't as crazy about The Concerto as I hoped I'd be.  Don't get me wrong, it's still an excellent course, but for some reason I found my mind wandering a lot during the later lectures in particular.  I gritted my teeth and listened to as much of Eliot Carter as I could and then hit Fast Forward.  Even the good professor couldn't convince me on that one.

So do I recommend it?  You bet I do, but not as completely as some of the other courses, certainly it's not even close to Music as a Mirror of History or Bach and the High Baroque.  But if you're interested in this particular musical form, it's an excellent overview.  

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Greenberg is a great performer

Greenberg is a fun loving dramatic actor with great deliveries, a great sense of humor and appears to love his work - rock on Shakespeare.

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My favorite lecturer

After finishing this course, I have taken to googling the phrase "favorite concerto" and giving a listen to a broad variety of composers and styles. The lecturer has infectious enthusiasm for his subject, and in listening I gained both knowledge about and appreciation for this musical form. Thank you! Highly recommended!

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As (almost) superb as Prof. Greenberg usually does

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

Most of them, with great pleasure.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When he does an analysis of the musical theory behind the music.

Any additional comments?

It's amazing and wonderful, almost as usually. It's a pity that the fact that the potential listeners are from the USA makes him include too many irrelevant US composers in this survey. He usually keeps an exquisite balance of who really is/was who in the musical world history. Of course, there are some who are really worthy and should be here, but many others... By doing this, other composers of higher worth from other countries have been neglected sadly. Moreover, it's surprising how the Spanish (and American) composers are misrepresented, except the American composers born in the USA, of course. No mention of Héitor Villa-Lobos or Manuel de Falla, for example. No mention of Tomás Luis de Victoria or Antonio de Cabezón, two of the three most eminent composers all over Europe during the Renaissance. Or many others. In the survey lectures about The symphony, the Professor overrepresented as well some over-rated US composers (and also a few from the London colonies -just kidding, or not?), but in this survey he's gone way farther. The lecture about Elliot Carter I guess should have never been included, should he have made this lecture in 2017, and not in 2005. And he should have included some other names he mentioned but discarded. But in general, provided that this is a survey made by a USA company and a US Professor, it is not too jingoistic, at least not until when the lectures enter the 20th century... :-) Another detail : I would love and would buy immediately a course about "Musical theory (and applied to masterworks), and some notions about the compositional compared methods by the great masters, for the layman", by Professor Greenberg.

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Fabulous

I've listened to at least six of professor green
nbergs courses. I loved this one the most. while all are excellent I appreciate the virtuosity of many of these performances.

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Concerto of musical history

Greenberg delivers another animated historical overview within classical music; this time of "The Concerto". The musical selections are worth the entire book/course, the historical context is a bonus.

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great stuff always enjoy listening to books

On music appreciation it causes me to expand my horizons and my Spotify library. Moreover intellectually and emotionally charges the brain. by that I mean when I listen to metal or concerto to me I can see the relationship between both of them and it's freaking awesome so thank you exclamation? stupid voice thing 1

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Gets Better Each Time

And you begin to warm up to the 20th Century selections in the last several lectures. You might even make a list of to-hears, too...

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