How to Listen to and Understand Opera

De: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Robert Greenberg

To watch any opera lover listen to a favorite work, eyes clenched tight in concentration and passion, often betraying a tear, is to be almost envious. What must it be like, you might think, to love a piece of music so much?

And now one of music's most gifted teachers is offering you the opportunity to answer that very question, in a spellbinding series of 32 lectures that will introduce you to the transcendentally beautiful performing art that has enthralled audiences for more than 400 years.

As you meet the geniuses - including the likes of Monteverdi, Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini - who have produced some of the landmark artistic achievements of the form, and listen to many of their most beautiful moments, you'll grasp how the addition of music can reveal truths beyond what mere spoken words can convey, and how opera's unique marriage of words and music makes the whole far greater than the sum of its parts.

Beginning with opera's origins in the early 17th century and continuing into the 20th, you'll trace the art's evolution and its ability to convey every shade of human emotion, whether sorrow or joy, drama or buffoonery. You'll understand how different types of voices enhance character. And you'll understand how the invention of the aria gave operatic composers a new power to make human emotions soar, adding to the impact of what continues to be one of the most beautiful musical forms ever devised.

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

©1997 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1997 The Great Courses

Greenberg teaches, amuses.

A balanced approach, as much culture/history/philosophy on the one hand and music on the other.
- Jude Anthony

Great as usual

As I have come to expect from Robert Greenberg, this is great! Passionate and engaging narration, funny jokes, interesting theories.

Great introduction to some of the greatest operas and composers.

Great as usual, Professor Greenberg.
But I would rather consider this lecture an enlarged version of the Opera sections of the main wonderful lecture "How to listen to and understand great music, 3rd edition". It explains more in focus mostly one opera only by just one composer of every main music history period or language/nationalistic school.. And, sadly most of those works/composers are the same than we already treated in the larger lecture "How to listen to and understand great music, 3rd edition", although here they are explained in most cases in more detail.
I would have loved to have had a wider perspective of authors and works by author.
Also, the recording quality is not the same one, since it seems to have been recorded live.
I am used to such high quality level by Professor Greenberg, that in this case I can only rate this lecture as 4-4.5.

The Fat Lady Has Sung

Would you listen to How to Listen to and Understand Opera again? Why?

I would. It's a wonderful introduction to a high art form which is accessible even to those who are not musically trained. Even with a Bachelor's degree in music, I found Prof. Greenberg's insights to be fresh, compelling, and enjoyable.

Any additional comments?

For me to want to listen again to almost 24 hours of lecture material, it has to be excellent. This is. Buy it, listen to it, and then check out the operas he discusses. You won't be sorry.

A Great Intro into Opera

If you could sum up How to Listen to and Understand Opera in three words, what would they be?

Informative. Interesting. FUNdamental

What did you like best about this story?

The presenter, Prof. Robert Greenberg delivered the lectures in information-pact sessions, but was never boring. You can tell that he has a real passion for the subject. He was informative, funny, and entertaining. He took a subject I knew nothing about and made it wort the 36 hours I put in. I'll admit that I was a little sad for the lectures to end. I suppose I'll have to get another course taught by Prof. Greenberg.

This course opened up the vast world of opera to me!

This was a hoped for insight into the distant world of opera and it did not disappoint at all! This course completely opened up a world of beautiful music, drama, villains and heroes that was completely beguiling and I could not stop listening!! Bravo Robert Greenberg for your insight, charm, humor and guidance. What a MasterClass!!

Love professor Greenberg

He really imparts the fun and passion of music
Also adds a dash of biography and history

Truly enlightening! This adds color to my life!

I found all the lectures entertaining and edifying. I didn't know I was missing out on so much. It's encouraged me to do my own research on different Operas, and not just listen to them, but experience them! I never thought I'd be such an Opera buff as I am now. Bravissimo!!!

Life Changing

I've never written a review here before, it's that good. Almost couldn't stop listening to it — fascinating history, stories, and I never knew a thing about opera before I started.

Never thought I would be interested in Opera

Professor Greenberg has made me a convert. I started with his survey course and enjoyed it so much (How to listen to great music) I've been working my way through all his offerings. I've listened to several of them multiple times. His excitement and enjoyment of opera in the other sources convinced me to give this one and also the Mozart opera course a try. The course was very enjoyable as are all of his courses I've purchased. My only complaint is I wish this one had extended to more current operas as well. As soon as I could I went to see the Marriage of Figaro. I felt almost like an expert and enjoyed the performance so much more than when I first saw it years ago. Thanks you audible for offering these courses and at such an amazing price.