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Great Music of the 20th Century
Listening Length: 17 hours and 50 minutes
The 20th century was a hotbed of musical exploration, innovation, and transformation unlike any other epoch in history. Ranging across the century in its entirety, these 24 lectures present a musical cornucopia of astounding dimensions - a major presentation and exploration of the incredible brilliance and diversity of musical art across a turbulent century.
Using a chronological approach, you'll explore the fascinating gamut of 20th-century musical "isms", from impressionism and fauvism to serialism, stochasticism, ultraserialism, neoclassicism, neotonalism, and minimalism as well as the inclusivity and synthesis within concert music that embraced Western historical styles, folk and popular music, jazz, rock, Asian, Latin American, and other influences in the service of heightened musical expression. Through the panoramic view of the course, you'll discover the genius of composers such as Debussy, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Webern, Bartok, Ligeti, Riley, and many others.
Far more than simply a series of lectures, the program comprises a huge and many-sided resource for discovering the endless riches of 20th-century concert music across the globe. The phenomenal range of genres and composers covered and the wealth of suggestions for specific works make this a reference that could easily inspire years of musical exploration and glorious listening.
This remarkable inquiry opens the doors to an extraordinary spectrum of contemporary masterpieces that await discovery and deep listening. Within these unique and riveting lectures, Professor Greenberg offers you the keys to understanding and deep enjoyment of a revolutionary, visionary, and magnificent era in music. In Great Music of the 20th Century, you'll experience the living, evolving, and superlative musical art that so vividly and unforgettably speaks to the life of our times.
The 20th century was a hotbed of musical exploration, innovation, and transformation unlike any other epoch in history. Ranging across the century in its entirety, these 24 lectures present a musical cornucopia of astounding dimensions - a major presentation and exploration of the incredible brilliance and diversity of musical art across a turbulent century.
Using a chronological approach, you'll explore the fascinating gamut of 20th-century musical "isms", from impressionism and fauvism to serialism, stochasticism, ultraserialism, neoclassicism, neotonalism, and minimalism as well as the inclusivity and synthesis within concert music that embraced Western historical styles, folk and popular music, jazz, rock, Asian, Latin American, and other influences in the service of heightened musical expression. Through the panoramic view of the course, you'll discover the genius of composers such as Debussy, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Webern, Bartok, Ligeti, Riley, and many others.
Far more than simply a series of lectures, the program comprises a huge and many-sided resource for discovering the endless riches of 20th-century concert music across the globe. The phenomenal range of genres and composers covered and the wealth of suggestions for specific works make this a reference that could easily inspire years of musical exploration and glorious listening.
This remarkable inquiry opens the doors to an extraordinary spectrum of contemporary masterpieces that await discovery and deep listening. Within these unique and riveting lectures, Professor Greenberg offers you the keys to understanding and deep enjoyment of a revolutionary, visionary, and magnificent era in music. In Great Music of the 20th Century, you'll experience the living, evolving, and superlative musical art that so vividly and unforgettably speaks to the life of our times.
18 pages, Audible Audio
Published March 2, 2018
8 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Robert Greenberg
156 books217 followersRobert M. Greenberg is an American composer, pianist and musicologist. He has composed more than 50 works for a variety of instruments and voices, and has recorded a number of lecture series on music history and music appreciation for The Teaching Company.
Greenberg earned a B.A. in music, magna cum laude, from Princeton University and received a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of California, Berkeley. He has served on the faculties of UC Berkeley, Californiz State University, East Bay, and the San Franciso Conservatory of Music, where he was chairman of the Department of Music History and Literature as well as Director of the Adult Extension Division. Dr. Greenberg is currently Music Historian-in-residence with San Francisco Performances.
Greenberg earned a B.A. in music, magna cum laude, from Princeton University and received a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of California, Berkeley. He has served on the faculties of UC Berkeley, Californiz State University, East Bay, and the San Franciso Conservatory of Music, where he was chairman of the Department of Music History and Literature as well as Director of the Adult Extension Division. Dr. Greenberg is currently Music Historian-in-residence with San Francisco Performances.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 19, 2020
I am not a musician (as my talented son occasionally points out), but I enjoy a wide spectrum of available music. As part of my attempt to make up for a lack of schooling/understanding, I have tried a number of Professor Robert Greenberg’s lectures (and reviewed several of them for GR).
Greenberg is a great lecturer, if you can enjoy his sense of humor and appreciate his opinions. He has offered his insights on many classical composers and types of classical music including quartets, opera and concerti. This series of 24 lectures is a bit different.
Greenberg explains that he is going to discuss a wide swath of the past century’s music. I believe he succeeds in covering much of it from composers Debussy to Ellington to Glass to Berry to Xanakis to Takemitsu and beyond. He discusses the evolution of Western symphonic music but also Jazz, Indian, Balinese/Javanese gamelan, Rock ‘n Roll, and to a lesser extent Latin American and African. The lectures were recorded recently so the entire 20th Century is reviewed. Here are the titles of the lectures:
1 20th‑Century Music: Be Afraid No Longer! .
2 Setting the Table and Parsing Out Blame . . .
3 Debussy and le français in Musical Action . .
4 Russia and Igor Stravinsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring . . . . . . . . . .
6 The Paradox of Arnold Schoenberg . . . . . . .
7 The Emancipation of Melody! . . . . . . . . . . .
8 The Second Viennese School . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 The “New” Classicism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10 Schoenberg and the 12‑Tone Method . . . .
11 Synthesis and Nationalism: Béla Bartók . .
12 America’s Musical Gift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 American Iconoclasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14 The World Turned Upside Down . . . . . . .
15 Electronic Music and European Ultraserialism . .
16 Schoenberg In Exile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17 Stravinsky in America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18 For Every Action an Equal Reaction . . . . . . . . . .
19 The California Avant‑Garde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20 Rock around the Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21 East Meets West; South Meets North . . . . . . . . . .
22 Postmodernism: New Tonality and Eclecticism . . .
23 The New Pluralism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24 Among Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
It should be noted that this series presents some challenges that previous lectures do not. This is a cornucopia of music whose variety Greenberg tries (with varying success) to fit into categories. Perhaps more significant, intellectual property laws make it very expensive to have samples of this music in the lectures. Instead, the accompanying materials provide URL links to YouTube performances. Because I use Spotify, which worked quite well, I did not try the URL links.
Two other aspects that I should note concern language and historical context. As to the latter, Greenberg effectively makes the case that to understand a composer you need to know, beyond the music, how and where he lived and what was going on at that time. As to the former, Greenberg argues that music should be consider a form of language and he provides some great examples to support this.
All in all, this was both challenging and rewarding, expanding my knowledge and, also, acquainting me with a lot of music that I would not have otherwise added to my experience. Thank you, Robert Greenberg! Perhaps, I will go through these lectures again when I have added to my experience because there is a lot of material that lends itself to deeper study.
4.5*
Postscript
The last lecture is the only time in all of the over 600 lectures that Greenberg has recorded that he discusses his own music.
Greenberg is a great lecturer, if you can enjoy his sense of humor and appreciate his opinions. He has offered his insights on many classical composers and types of classical music including quartets, opera and concerti. This series of 24 lectures is a bit different.
Greenberg explains that he is going to discuss a wide swath of the past century’s music. I believe he succeeds in covering much of it from composers Debussy to Ellington to Glass to Berry to Xanakis to Takemitsu and beyond. He discusses the evolution of Western symphonic music but also Jazz, Indian, Balinese/Javanese gamelan, Rock ‘n Roll, and to a lesser extent Latin American and African. The lectures were recorded recently so the entire 20th Century is reviewed. Here are the titles of the lectures:
1 20th‑Century Music: Be Afraid No Longer! .
2 Setting the Table and Parsing Out Blame . . .
3 Debussy and le français in Musical Action . .
4 Russia and Igor Stravinsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring . . . . . . . . . .
6 The Paradox of Arnold Schoenberg . . . . . . .
7 The Emancipation of Melody! . . . . . . . . . . .
8 The Second Viennese School . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 The “New” Classicism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10 Schoenberg and the 12‑Tone Method . . . .
11 Synthesis and Nationalism: Béla Bartók . .
12 America’s Musical Gift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 American Iconoclasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14 The World Turned Upside Down . . . . . . .
15 Electronic Music and European Ultraserialism . .
16 Schoenberg In Exile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17 Stravinsky in America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18 For Every Action an Equal Reaction . . . . . . . . . .
19 The California Avant‑Garde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20 Rock around the Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21 East Meets West; South Meets North . . . . . . . . . .
22 Postmodernism: New Tonality and Eclecticism . . .
23 The New Pluralism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24 Among Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
It should be noted that this series presents some challenges that previous lectures do not. This is a cornucopia of music whose variety Greenberg tries (with varying success) to fit into categories. Perhaps more significant, intellectual property laws make it very expensive to have samples of this music in the lectures. Instead, the accompanying materials provide URL links to YouTube performances. Because I use Spotify, which worked quite well, I did not try the URL links.
Two other aspects that I should note concern language and historical context. As to the latter, Greenberg effectively makes the case that to understand a composer you need to know, beyond the music, how and where he lived and what was going on at that time. As to the former, Greenberg argues that music should be consider a form of language and he provides some great examples to support this.
All in all, this was both challenging and rewarding, expanding my knowledge and, also, acquainting me with a lot of music that I would not have otherwise added to my experience. Thank you, Robert Greenberg! Perhaps, I will go through these lectures again when I have added to my experience because there is a lot of material that lends itself to deeper study.
4.5*
Postscript
The last lecture is the only time in all of the over 600 lectures that Greenberg has recorded that he discusses his own music.
July 26, 2020
I can't say I loved (or even liked) all the music or styles covered in these lectures. OTOH, at least I now know why I don't like them Besides, I don't have to like something to understand what's going on with it, and this course certainly made sure comprehension was the goal.
This was, by far, the most challenging of Dr. Greenberg's lectures for me on many levels. I will say that I learned a huge amount, and the considerable time invested was well worth it.
This was, by far, the most challenging of Dr. Greenberg's lectures for me on many levels. I will say that I learned a huge amount, and the considerable time invested was well worth it.
September 11, 2024
Concert music of the 20th century reflects to violence, sorrow, joy, and weirdness of the 1900s. There’s a lot to love and a lot to avoid. I found these lectures helpful in understanding which composers I want to listen more to for fun or intellectual challenge or beauty.
February 25, 2021
I always recommend Greenberg's works; I have done several in the past and I have learned so much! This one was no exception; in fact, I learned more from this one than anything I have ever taken from Great Courses. I also enjoy 20th century music so much more; I would not have expected to enjoy, say, a Prokofiev piano sonata as much as I now do. I even have ideas about how to extend my experience. I can't recommend this more highly.
As a note, unlike other of these courses, the music is not integrated into the course itself. This is only the fault of copyright laws and other untoward complications. Just go to robertgreenbergmusic.com and you get all of the links. Really it is more like getting two courses for the price of one. It is just as long as many other courses, plus with the weblinks on the site you get hours of bonus music.
As a note, unlike other of these courses, the music is not integrated into the course itself. This is only the fault of copyright laws and other untoward complications. Just go to robertgreenbergmusic.com and you get all of the links. Really it is more like getting two courses for the price of one. It is just as long as many other courses, plus with the weblinks on the site you get hours of bonus music.
December 19, 2023
Overall very informative and engaging presentation. Robert Greenberg does a good job of describing the historical and cultural context, and the composers biographies for the works that he discusses. He has a good sense of humor (his manner of speaking sometimes reminds me of Lewis Black :) ). He makes no bones about being opinionated, and I think he is too dismissive of the post-war European composers. Guys like Olivier Messiaen and Karlheinz Stockhausen did a lot more than the ultra-serialist music that Greenberg disparages, but none of it is mentioned. Nor are many postwar European composers like Arvo Paart or Louis Andriesen mentioned, so that's a bit of a myopia on his part. Due to copyright issues no music samples are included in the lectures themselves, but there are links to the referenced works in the accompanying PDF.
May 11, 2024
Another fine series by Dr. Greenberg, who is a 20th Century composer himself. A major caveat, noted by others, is that for copyright and licensing reasons there is no music to accompany the lectures. Most if not all of the pieces, and others by the covered composers, can be found on Youtube, and some kind soul has created a playlist which makes them easily accessible, but the phrase "A URL has been provided" will still echo in my ear and grate on my nerves for some time.
Even so, that should not deter anyone interested in 20th century "classical" music from dipping into this highly informative and inspiring series of lectures. I don't think I would have understood anything at all about serialism if I hadn't dug into the theory that underlies it, but Greenberg does his best to make it at least approachable.
Even so, that should not deter anyone interested in 20th century "classical" music from dipping into this highly informative and inspiring series of lectures. I don't think I would have understood anything at all about serialism if I hadn't dug into the theory that underlies it, but Greenberg does his best to make it at least approachable.
May 21, 2022
Good lecture. Mind there’s no music, just links to internet videos, due to copyright issues. I would have expanded more on electronic music. I understand his point about attending acousmatic music concerts and I completely agree that it’s mostly a useless experience. Still I consider electroacoustic/acousmatic music the real contemporary music (for a variety of reasons, mainly because of its coherence with contemporary technology) and I actually think it should be experienced at home, more than in concert halls. I believe the author did not even mention Luc Ferrari, whose “anecdotic” compositions I consider to be among the greatest examples of 20-21st century music (thinking eg of L'escalier des aveugles, Presque Rien N°2…)
March 15, 2019
Professor Greenberg's courses are some of the best that I've come across. Very informative without being pretentious, Prof. Greenberg is a big proponent of the thought that, rather than being for the exclusive few 'cognoscenti,' Western Concert ("Classical") music is for EVERYONE to enjoy, and to be enriched by, a major part of our collective heritage, whether we realize it or not. This course has led me to some of my very favorite music, composers, and performers that I may never have encountered otherwise.
March 25, 2019
Other than having to stop the narrative to listen to the musical excerpts and then start the book again, this was a great course. I know the YouTube stuff could not be helped, it was just awkward. But it was worth it. I learned a lot from this course, and even came to like Schoenberg—as a man, and even as a composer to a point. No one will ever love 12 tone music. Nevertheless, there is some interesting stuff in this course. It will be of great interest to see what happens with the arts and music in particular in the future.
April 6, 2020
(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).
The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.
The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.
July 8, 2025
3+ Unfortunately, unlike Greenberg’s other audiobook courses that I have tried, this one does not include lots of music samples. He mentions URLs of performances that he provides in an accompanying book, but I could not access them as I checked the audiobook out from my library and did not receive accompanying materials. Nevertheless, the content he discusses in the audiobook is still interesting.
November 26, 2021
It's nice to know something about the history of modern music. Did you know that on Elvis' premiere on the Ed Sullivan show, more people (55-60 million) saw him than attended classical concerts in the previous 400 years?
May 3, 2022
Does not include music audio. Borint,
February 18, 2023
What a letdown! This is the Prof. Greenberg's 29th course that I listened to, and the only one I would rate less than 4 stars. It has a dramatically different format from his previous courses, in that the music he talks about is not played "in-line", but rather must be accessed independently somewhere else. This format makes it incredibly inconvenient and inefficient for me. Without the illustrated music, his lectures become pretty dry and, at times, not too meaningful.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews