The Modern Scholar: Masterpieces of Western Music

I recommend this book to everyone! It is complex enough for those who know music and simple enough for beginners.

The sound quality of the musical examples is not the best, but you should buy and listen to the complete recordings of the pieces after the lecture anyway, if you don't already have them.

Also, Prof. Lependorf is not a professional voice artist, that is clear. However, his love and enthusiasm for the subject shines through and his delivery is very relaxed and friendly. Prof. Lependorf gave new depth to pieces that I thought I knew well, and turned me on to others that I had neglected for one reason or another.

These are fascinating lectures that include both the technical music theory behind the pieces, as well as the human stories of the people that created them and just enough audio examples to demonstrate his points while enticing us to seek out the full recordings to hear more.

Listening to the lectures gave me so much pleasure. Prof. Lependorf teaches the listener to understand the music and create a mental map of the passages. Personally, it was like learning a new language in an insightful way. I'd say the lectures helped to develop my sensitivity.
You can download the accompanying guide and figure out what the lectures are about. In short, they cover the following musicians and their masterpieces:
A.Vivaldi 'The Spring' (Movement I), J.S.Bach 'Brandenburg Concerto No. 5' (Movement I), G.F.Handel 'The Messiah' (“Ev’ry Valley”, “All We Like Sheep”, “Hallelujah”), W.A.Mozart 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' (Movement I), L. van Beethoven 'Symphony No. 5' (Movement I), H.Berlioz 'Symphonie Fantastique', F.Chopin 'Nocturnes' (Vol. 1, Nocturne in Db, Op. 27, No. 2), J.Brahms 'Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Händel' (Variations I, II, III, V, VI, Fugue), R.Wagner 'Prelude to Tristan', M.Mussorgsky 'Pictures at an Exhibition' ('Promenade', 'The Gnome', 'Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks', 'Great Gate of Kiev'), C.Debussy 'Prelude to The Afternoon of the Faun', I.Stravinsky 'The Rite of Spring' (Pt. 1), M.Ravel 'Mother Goose Suite', A.Copland 'Appalachian Spring Suite'.
Prof. Lependorf introduces such notions as tonic, ritornello, tutti, continuo, terraced dynamics, concerto grosso, pedal point, cadenza, oratorio, melisma, serenade, sonata-allegro, adagio, col legno, bel canto, arpeggio, da capo aria, tempo rubato, appoggiatura, hemiola, rounded binary, canon, cross-rhythm, two-against-three, leitmotiv, tremolo, ostinato, whole-tone scale, pentatonic scale, mode, gamelan, glissando, and syncopation, to name a few.
The lectures expanded my musical experience. I'll certainly listen to them again.

I haven't seen the print edition.
It would be nice to see the print edition after having listened to this audio version. I want to use some of the examples in teaching and it would be great to have a print version to go back to rather than have to find all the spots that I was listening to and thinking "oh yeah, I need to point that out".

loved the way he described the appoggiatura.. and so many other things.. pedal point leading to a key change... yes, so many things

Nice bird's eye view.

Leaning into the music: the appoggiatura made simple

I'd like to hear more. Perhaps a series of audible books -- each taking an in-depth look at a specific style period.

The narrator swallows saliva more audibly than I care to hear, but the lectures were great!

More importantly THERE IS MUSIC IN THIS RECORDING!