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Great Masters: Shostakovich - His Life and Music
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
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Publisher's summary
Dmitri Shostakovich is without a doubt one of the central composers of the 20th century. His symphonies and string quartets are mainstays of the repertoire. But Shostakovich is also a figure whose story raises challenging and exciting issues that go far beyond music: they touch on questions of conscience, the moral role of the artist, the plight of humanity in the face of total war and mass oppression, and the inner life of history's bloodiest century. And though he was not without flaws, he was a faithful witness to the survival of the human spirit under totalitarianism.
And now you can discover the extraordinary life, times, and music of Shostakovich in a probing series of eight lectures from an acclaimed conductor, teacher, and music historian. Drawing on both the flood of declassified documents from the Soviet Union that began in 1991 and Shostakovich's own extraordinarily frank posthumous reminiscences, Professor Greenberg shows how Shostakovich, who, in the words of a friend, "did not want to rot in a prison or a graveyard" was still unwilling to become a docile instrument of the Soviet regime.
You'll learn how what he would not say publicly in words, he instead said through his music - messages from a buried life of his experiences during the terror of Stalin, the Nazi destruction of his country, postwar reconstruction, and the arms race.
In work after work, often composed under crushing difficulty and anxiety, you'll hear how he used a brilliant arsenal of ironic conceits, musical quotes from un-Soviet sources such as American jazz or Jewish klezmer tunes, and other techniques to assert the integrity of his art in the face of totalitarian oppression, and to pay, as he said, "homage to the dead."
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
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Audible Masterpiece
- By Phoenician on 09-10-20
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The Debutante
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
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Thirty years ago, award-winning journalist Jon Ronson stumbled on the mystery of Carol Howe—a charismatic, wealthy former debutante turned white supremacist spokeswoman turned undercover informant. In 1995, Carol was spying on Oklahoma’s neo-Nazis for the government just when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.
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Interesting but not compelling
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By: Jon Ronson
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The Demon Next Door
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- Narrated by: Steve White
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- Unabridged
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Best-selling author Bryan Burrough recently made a shocking discovery: The small town of Temple, Texas, where he had grown up, had harbored a dark secret. One of his high school classmates, Danny Corwin, was a vicious serial killer. In this chilling tale, Burrough raises important questions of whether serial killers can be recognized before they kill or rehabilitated after they do. It is also a story of Texas politics and power that led the good citizens of the town of Temple to enable a demon who was their worst nightmare.
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Odd narration choice
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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
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The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
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Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
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Two Women Walk into a Bar
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Twenty-one years after Cheryl Strayed set off on the Pacific Crest Trail to heal from the death of her beloved mother, Cheryl’s mother-in-law, Joan, is given weeks to live. As she and her husband help see Joan through her final days, Cheryl reckons with their complicated relationship, determined to connect with a woman who both showed her love and (sometimes hilariously) held her at a distance. Cheryl reflects on their two decades together as she comes to a deeper understanding of the secrets and sorrows in Joan’s complicated past.
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Cheryl tells a great story!
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Something Ain't Right
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Roger Stringer grew up in rural Mississippi, hunting and eating everything from deer to rabbits. When he had two sons, Zac and Justin, he gave them guns and took them to the woods as well. Then one day when the boys were home alone, he got a call from Zac that Justin had been shot. What follows is an intimate and gripping memoir about the shooting’s aftermath. The story moves between the perspectives of Roger and Zac as they take us through their journey of betrayal, redemption, and ultimately confrontation with a company that had kept its corruption a secret for decades.
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The Journey for Truth
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Own It
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Diane von Furstenberg, entrepreneur and philanthropist, presents her words to live by. In an easy-to-navigate A-Z dictionary format, designed to be browsed or listened to as a whole, Own It offers listeners Diane’s well-earned wisdom for enjoying both personal and professional growth at any age.
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Some books should just never be opened
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The Year of Magical Thinking
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When celebrated writer Joan Didion’s life was altered forever, she wrote a new chapter. In this adaptation of her iconic memoir, Didion transforms the story of the shattering loss of her husband and their daughter into a one-woman play performed by Tony Award winner Vanessa Redgrave, who originated the role on Broadway in 2007.
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Difficult story, but worth it
- By Maya on 08-07-20
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Memories, Dreams, Reflections
- By: Carl Jung
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In 1957, four years before his death, Carl Gustav Jung, psychiatrist and psychologist, began writing his life story. But what started as an exercise in autobiography soon morphed into an altogether more profound undertaking.
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Dr. Jung's Life Would Make A Good Movie
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Helter Skelter
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Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.
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Everything I remembered about the case was wrong..
- By karen on 06-22-12
By: Vincent Bugliosi, and others
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No visuals provided! Very hard to follow without.
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Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
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What listeners say about Great Masters: Shostakovich - His Life and Music
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Chris Reich
- 12-23-13
Superb Course: Greenberg on Speed
I have had a very hit-and-miss experience with Greenberg's courses. His opera appreciation course is excellent. His Wagner course abysmal. This course is very good and packed with exactly what I want from a course like this.
I have listened to and seen live performances of Shostakovich's music but never much cared for his modernist style. His music seemed confused and convoluted to me. Of course, discordance was all the rage after the turn of the century so I have for years just taken Shostakovich as "not for me".
This set of lectures does what great teaching ought to do. It opened my mind to a new experience and instilled an enthusiasm to go deeper. That's what I like about the really great courses. They encourage me to go well beyond what is presented.
Dr. Greenberg perfectly balances biography with explanation of the music through stories and music samples. What opened the door for me was knowing what was happening in the composer's life blended with a taste of the music he wrote during that time and completed with some analysis of the music itself. I could see, for the first time, how wonderful and terrible that discordance was that I previously hated. By terrible, I mean the horror that the "circus" sound was expressing.
I actually raced through this course in a week all the while spending like the proverbial drunken sailor. This is fantastic, I must have the MP3 now! And I'll need a CD version as well. Wow! I must hear the rest of this. I want more of that. I bought DVDs of the operas, MP3s and CDs of the symphonies and the quartets, CDs of the piano pieces and the cello concerto. Amazon is very pleased that I took this course.
The new understanding made the music so enjoyable I just had to have some complete piece IMMEDIATELY. That's good teaching.
I do have some criticism of the course. Before I criticize, I want to say again that I absolutely hated Greenberg's Wagner course. That course is packed with awful puns and bad jokes. It's a slap-schtick production. In this course, the corn is scaled back considerably. Greenberg would do well to eliminate his humor completely but at least in this course his poor puns do not detract too much from the course.
His pace is at times manic. He literally talks like someone coked up. It's beyond enthusiasm; it's just too fast.
The other thing I find grating is the pompous use of the words "please" and "we". "Please! We quote,....." Is Greenberg glad to have us listen or is that a composer in his pocket? We wonder. Amusingly, he starts the entire series with an anecdote about someone complaining about the anti-Stalinist content of one of his lectures. The critic says something about others in the audience having the same reaction. Greenberg goes on to say that he immediately dismisses anyone who makes assertions referring to those "others agree with me too" people.
He might benefit from listening to some of that criticism. The pompous use of "we" is annoying. Preceding points or quotes with "Please!" is an affectation that I accept as just a bit of artistic flamboyance. Interestingly, about half way, Greenberg simply starts quotes with, "I quote" and it comes off better than when he later reverts back to royal "we".
Fewer jokes and a scaling back of the pompous presentation and the course would be perfect. As is, it is still a 5 star, highly recommended course.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Cookie
- 08-14-13
Living the Great Terror
Prof Greenberg brings us through the life of this great composer against the backdrop of Stalin's regime during the purges before and after WW2. It is an unforgettable tour de force of music and history that makes you cringe and maybe even cry. Set in context, this body of work is a microcosm of the horror, and yet beautiful too. We stand in awe of what it took to bring art out of this turmoil that was the USSR when just surviving was a risk. Listening to this series is will bring it to life, amazing!
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5 people found this helpful
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- William
- 04-14-14
Highly recommended
This is my second of the Great Courses and they have both been great. Though I was familiar with USSR history in the 20th century, and with Shostakovich's music, these lectures put it all together for me by showing how the music connected with the horrible history. I quite enjoyed the reader. Some might think him over-dramatic -- and I must say, he reminds me a bit of the guys on "Car Talk" on NPR -- but I enjoyed his enthusiastic take on things, in spite of some ouchy French and German pronunciations. This series is highly recommended and I will listen to it again.
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- Kindle Customer
- 03-10-17
A twisting path to Beethoven
What about Professor Robert Greenberg’s performance did you like?
I learned to enjoy Beethoven by sneaking up on him. First I listened to Dr. G's How To Understand lecture, then the Life of Beethoven, then Beethoven's piano sonatas and symphonies, then . . . I got so scared of the violin quartets that I left the straight and narrow path. I started listening to Dr. G's lectures on Shostakovitch which was enormous fun==I developed a great appreciation and admiration for the man and his work. Then I was ready to try Beethoven's quartets--and yes, I had a marvelous time!
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- Denis Tichenkov
- 06-09-16
Too political
I found the authors excessive political posturing and borderline racial commentary to be offensive. The entire first chapter is about the author's rather uninformed dislike for the Soviet Union and the evils of Stalin. I didn't get to the part about Shostakovich and his music, so I returned the book.
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- Donald B. Rossoff
- 02-12-16
I believe his best
I have listened to most of Greenberg's lectures and this is the most fascinating. Delivery remains over dramatic, but this is not as snarky as some.
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- Danimike
- 05-06-15
Utterly fascinating!
What made the experience of listening to Great Masters: Shostakovich - His Life and Music the most enjoyable?
Shostakovich was a musical genius working during very difficult times. Because his life was always at risk during the Stalin and post-Stalin eras, he had to walk a very fine line to survive. What makes his music particularly fascinating is the way he wove irony and dissonance into the melodic lines. Stalin and his henchmen perceived the music as heroic, a tribute to the triumph of their reign, but anyone with ears and a clear head would perceive in the same sounds a scathing indictment of the Soviet leaders' crimes against humanity. Robert Greenberg is as entertaining as he is brilliant. I particularly enjoyed his send-up of the American academic elite, who discounted Shostakovich's condemnation of the Soviet Union because it didn't conform to their preferred narrative about the virtues of Communism.Greenberg points out that in the years from the revolution to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, 61 million civilians were slaughtered--nearly three times Hitler's bodycount--a number that is recently being discredited for being too low (!) Shostakovich would be the first to say he wasn't a hero--but he was a survivor and a witness. His music is the ultimate refutation of totalitarianism and testament to the importance of artistic and personal freedom. Don't miss it!
What other book might you compare Great Masters: Shostakovich - His Life and Music to and why?
Greenberg's course on Beethoven is completely amazing. I'll be listening to more of his courses soon.
What does Professor Robert Greenberg bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Insight, expertise, personality, and a wonderfully entertaining delivery. Greenberg doesn't read: he performs!
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- Russell Bernard
- 10-14-14
Talk about the red scare
Dr. Greenberg does it again. I have finished all of his great masters and have enjoyed every one of them. You will find this lecture fascinating especially how Russian politics affected how he was able to write music and what he was able to compose. I found this music and lecture fascinating.
Another book that was published recently on this subject is Leningrad: Siege and Symphony: The Story of the Great City Terrorized by Stalin, Starved by Hitler, Immortalized by Shostakovich
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- Big Reader
- 10-18-13
An Amazing Course
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
After I listenened to the sample and read the reviews I had to buy this course. I am dazzled by the history and the music. I was never a great Shostakovich fan but now I am. Bob Greenberg is a constant source of learning pleasure. I have many of his classes through both Audible and the Teaching Company. This is one of the best. I'm glad Audible is carrying so many courses. I put them on my iPod and listen when I walk.
Have you listened to any of Professor Robert Greenberg’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have many of Prof Greenberg's courses. They are all wonderful. Shostakovich was a composer I avoided in the past but not now!
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- James Ray Griffith
- 01-24-20
Testament of our Times
I grew up in a safe America, went to college during Vietnam and listened to so many of my peers flirt with communism and socialism. I also fell in love with the music of Shostakovich and the prose of Solzhenitsyn. They were both blessed and cursed to live in a time of monsters. The monsters shaped their times and their voices in wonderful and horrible ways, but ah what voices. They left a testament to our times recording both their and their cultures sufferings and struggles. After hearing this course I heard more clearly the voices beneath the beauty and wept for what was lost for their generation but preserved for us.
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