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The Symphonies of Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven is justifiably acclaimed as one of the most revered composers in the history of Western music-a genius once characterized as a "Titan, wrestling with the gods." There is no better way for you to understand the full impact of that description than to not only listen to all nine of his magnificent symphonies, but to do so with a full understanding of what this great composer was saying and the circumstances that drove him up to and beyond what had once been considered the limits of musical expression. The 32 lectures that make up this detailed introduction to Beethoven explores each of his symphonies in depth, explaining the gifts of musical communication that made this composer unique. Even without any previous musical training, you'll be able to grasp the absolute directness that made his work so accessible, the sheer emotional power that could never be ignored, and the ways in which his ideas were revolutionary on every level. Beginning with an introduction to Beethoven the man and the musical and societal forces that shaped his development, you'll explore his breathtaking harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, formal, dramatic, self-expressive, and emotional. And you'll come to understand how and why this man was able to lead music into a totally new era as he dispensed with the restraint of 18th-century Classicism to usher in the era of romantic self-expression - even as his own ability to even hear what he was creating was progressively and tragically vanishing.
24 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 1996
18 people are currently reading
114 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 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 16, 2023
A fulfilling 24 hours of analyzing the 9 magnificent symphonies by Beethoven. The course is slightly above the introductory level, hence some basic understanding of music theories is required to enjoy the lectures fully, though not necessary. Professor Greenberg no doubt is resourceful and knowledgeable on the subject matter. He brought me to another level on how to appreciate the symphonies that I am quite familiar with. The audiobook is long, but worth the time to listen to. The course also comes with 300 pages course materials that are covered in the lecture. The "word scores" are particular useful.
I highly recommend!
I highly recommend!
September 22, 2013
A while back a buddy and I were debating why John Madden was such a popular football broadcaster. We agreed that Madden was able to bring his wealth of experience as a coach to his new job, but there were plenty of former coaches and players in the broadcast booth. What separated Madden was his combination of knowledge and enthusiasm. "It's like watching the game with a really smart uncle," my friend said.
That's exactly how I feel when listening to a Robert Greenberg lecture on music. His experience as a composer enables him to dissect a symphony, sonata or opera into easily digestible bits, and his enthusiasm brings to life the composers and their works. No doubt plenty of music profs could have tackled the same material, but few if any would match Greenberg's sheer joy, humor and passion. All that's missing is the video game.
Classical music can be intimidating to folks. If you're one of them, but would like to expand your musical horizons, this is an excellent place to start. Even if you're familiar with Beethoven's symphonies, I guarantee you'll learn some fascinating things.
That's exactly how I feel when listening to a Robert Greenberg lecture on music. His experience as a composer enables him to dissect a symphony, sonata or opera into easily digestible bits, and his enthusiasm brings to life the composers and their works. No doubt plenty of music profs could have tackled the same material, but few if any would match Greenberg's sheer joy, humor and passion. All that's missing is the video game.
Classical music can be intimidating to folks. If you're one of them, but would like to expand your musical horizons, this is an excellent place to start. Even if you're familiar with Beethoven's symphonies, I guarantee you'll learn some fascinating things.
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January 14, 2020UPDATE January 2020: Having now listened to this course for the third time all the way through, my main takeaway is that Greenberg is 100% correct: the 4th symphony is vastly underrated and a pure joy, and it has since jumped several places in my rankings (below).
----
Being a total classical music neophyte, I decided to take the plunge on this set when The Great Courses discounted it right around Halloween.
Nearly a year later the nine Beethoven symphonies have become regular company in my car, and it's entirely due to Greenberg's expertise and passion for them that I keep hitting repeat and seeking out performances at my local orchestra hall. He'll make a classical fan out of me yet.
Greenberg is the perfect instructor for these types of courses: knowledgeable and accessible, engaging and thoughtful, providing ample context and biographical detail. His WordScores are essential companions as you follow along, and can be understood with even a minimal amount of technical experience.
The only knock I have on this set is that he spends only two lectures on my favorite symphony, the Seventh, a slight he acknowledges with customary levity he'll be judged for in another life, but really, it needed more time.
For kicks, here are the symphonies, ranked. My top 3 could be rearranged depending on that day's mood; the middle three are frankly just as good; I continue to have trouble really keying into the epochal Ninth; the bottom two are the only two I can live without.
9. Symphony #2
8. Symphony #1
7. Symphony #9
6. Symphony #8
5. Symphony #5
4. Symphony #3
3. Symphony #4
2. Symphony #6
1. Symphony #7
----
Being a total classical music neophyte, I decided to take the plunge on this set when The Great Courses discounted it right around Halloween.
Nearly a year later the nine Beethoven symphonies have become regular company in my car, and it's entirely due to Greenberg's expertise and passion for them that I keep hitting repeat and seeking out performances at my local orchestra hall. He'll make a classical fan out of me yet.
Greenberg is the perfect instructor for these types of courses: knowledgeable and accessible, engaging and thoughtful, providing ample context and biographical detail. His WordScores are essential companions as you follow along, and can be understood with even a minimal amount of technical experience.
The only knock I have on this set is that he spends only two lectures on my favorite symphony, the Seventh, a slight he acknowledges with customary levity he'll be judged for in another life, but really, it needed more time.
For kicks, here are the symphonies, ranked. My top 3 could be rearranged depending on that day's mood; the middle three are frankly just as good; I continue to have trouble really keying into the epochal Ninth; the bottom two are the only two I can live without.
9. Symphony #2
8. Symphony #1
7. Symphony #9
6. Symphony #8
5. Symphony #5
4. Symphony #3
3. Symphony #4
2. Symphony #6
1. Symphony #7
October 25, 2021
Learning from a brilliant and supremely knowledgable professor like Robert Greenberg about the genius of Beethoven via his nine symphonies is a tremendous and inspiring experience.
April 18, 2022
Ten stars. Yes, really.
Not only is Robert Greenberg my favorite GC presenter ever, but this particular set in his always-amazing series on concert music and composers is (so far) my favorite GC. It is entertaining, informative, enlightening, and about 27 other praise-filled adjectives applicable to being translated as "Damn! That was completely worth every minute of my time and attention."
As with all of his courses, Greenberg's animated and enthusiastic teaching style is just plain fun. He manages to teach a lot of elementary music theory without being either boring or patronizing. In this series of 32 lectures, he covers the nine Beethoven symphonies deeply enough to be challenging, but not so much that one must be a musician to follow him. What made this particular GC so terrific is that it's clear he really enjoys these pieces, and he wants the audience to enjoy them. Watching him break down the second movement of the Ninth was like watching a kid in a candy stores being given free reign. His obvious glee with the subject matter is contagious.
Let's not forget the course notes included with the lectures. Greenberg's are packed full of more material because, as he explains, he simply runs out of time on the recordings to discuss some things in the detail he'd like. Most GC course notes are little more than transcripts and a bibliography. Greenberg's are exhaustive and definitely keepers.* I can see loading the course notes onto my phone to refer to during live performances, assuming I could do that without annoying people sitting around me
-------
*Sadly, these course notes are not available with most public library streaming formats of GC material. I have noticed our public library does bundle the books with hard media (usually CDs or DVDs, and the course guides are available as pdf files with the GC streaming service. Given the cost of GCs, library loans or the GCPlus streaming service is the way to go. I notice the recent 50% off deal they ran on the streaming service, a kind of "pandemic quarentine deal", has ended, but those who have Amazon Prime can access GC through Prime video and audio channels.
Not only is Robert Greenberg my favorite GC presenter ever, but this particular set in his always-amazing series on concert music and composers is (so far) my favorite GC. It is entertaining, informative, enlightening, and about 27 other praise-filled adjectives applicable to being translated as "Damn! That was completely worth every minute of my time and attention."
As with all of his courses, Greenberg's animated and enthusiastic teaching style is just plain fun. He manages to teach a lot of elementary music theory without being either boring or patronizing. In this series of 32 lectures, he covers the nine Beethoven symphonies deeply enough to be challenging, but not so much that one must be a musician to follow him. What made this particular GC so terrific is that it's clear he really enjoys these pieces, and he wants the audience to enjoy them. Watching him break down the second movement of the Ninth was like watching a kid in a candy stores being given free reign. His obvious glee with the subject matter is contagious.
Let's not forget the course notes included with the lectures. Greenberg's are packed full of more material because, as he explains, he simply runs out of time on the recordings to discuss some things in the detail he'd like. Most GC course notes are little more than transcripts and a bibliography. Greenberg's are exhaustive and definitely keepers.* I can see loading the course notes onto my phone to refer to during live performances, assuming I could do that without annoying people sitting around me
-------
*Sadly, these course notes are not available with most public library streaming formats of GC material. I have noticed our public library does bundle the books with hard media (usually CDs or DVDs, and the course guides are available as pdf files with the GC streaming service. Given the cost of GCs, library loans or the GCPlus streaming service is the way to go. I notice the recent 50% off deal they ran on the streaming service, a kind of "pandemic quarentine deal", has ended, but those who have Amazon Prime can access GC through Prime video and audio channels.
February 26, 2016
Not 100% sure if this counts as a "book" because it is a mixture of spoken text and musical excerpts, but this lecture series by Greenberg is a brilliant use of the audiobook medium. He is clearly an engaging and informed lecturer, and while he occasionally plays to the crowd, for the most part the listener/reader gets incredible insights into how serious musicians listen to/interpret music. His lecture series on Bach is my all time favorite, but this series on Beethoven's symphonies is also very enjoyable and informative.
December 26, 2015
Absolutely fantastic. I am listening to the various symphonies after each lecture on them, and it is wonderful to hear the various elements come alive now that I know what to listen for! Again, kudos to Prof. Greenberg!
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
February 5, 2016
It's like a somewhat technically annotated version of Beethoven Symphonies. Good humor.
September 20, 2021
I'm a history buff and not a musician...I know nothing about the intricacies of composition, harmonies or meters . I don't know an E sharp from an F flat. I think that Billy Joel and Chico Marx are the finest piano players...ever...mostly because they're fun and know their craft.
However, after reading a brief biography of Beethoven I decided to try to 'get into' his music...I did like his 5th Symphony, after all.
Enter Robert (Bob) Greenberg and The Great Courses "The Symphonies of Beethoven". Bob's high energy lecture style, wealth and depth of information, along with his wonderful ability to break down Beethoven's complex musical works into really complicated explanations left my head spinning. Yep, it was over my head...but wonderfully so! But I took my time and used my smart speaker to call up every symphony (they are all great...except maybe the 1st). I've spent hours trying to understand Bob's musical dissection...even admiring his piano abilities (he's no Chico, but he's pretty good). Miraculously, I learned something. I'm still not an expert, but rather a novice with a clue.
Ok, brief impressions: I thought “Wellington’s Victory" was pretty good (Bob hated it...it sorta reminded me of Johnny Horton's "Battle of New Orleans" which was also about 1814 and happened is some pissant, backwater country...Bob's words, not mine), and Symphonies #8 & 9 are just magnificent...better that #5. The 9th in particular gives me the feeling that I could be a pretty good conductor...but not as good as Chico!
Highly recommended (you will be humbled!)
However, after reading a brief biography of Beethoven I decided to try to 'get into' his music...I did like his 5th Symphony, after all.
Enter Robert (Bob) Greenberg and The Great Courses "The Symphonies of Beethoven". Bob's high energy lecture style, wealth and depth of information, along with his wonderful ability to break down Beethoven's complex musical works into really complicated explanations left my head spinning. Yep, it was over my head...but wonderfully so! But I took my time and used my smart speaker to call up every symphony (they are all great...except maybe the 1st). I've spent hours trying to understand Bob's musical dissection...even admiring his piano abilities (he's no Chico, but he's pretty good). Miraculously, I learned something. I'm still not an expert, but rather a novice with a clue.
Ok, brief impressions: I thought “Wellington’s Victory" was pretty good (Bob hated it...it sorta reminded me of Johnny Horton's "Battle of New Orleans" which was also about 1814 and happened is some pissant, backwater country...Bob's words, not mine), and Symphonies #8 & 9 are just magnificent...better that #5. The 9th in particular gives me the feeling that I could be a pretty good conductor...but not as good as Chico!
Highly recommended (you will be humbled!)
August 24, 2022
WOW. WOW. WOW. I thought I was a reasonably educated musical person. This stuff is so condensed, I really wish I'd had the word score he kept referring to. There is a wealth of information in these lectures, despite Greenberg's chronically lamenting he can't spend more time on the material. He introduced a lot of new terms (which surprised me greatly. I thought I was pretty well-versed on musical terminology), and I learned a LOT about different styles. I'll be his music appreciation class was a difficult one. Greenberg is very instructive - walking the student through the different forms, identifying key, meter, instruments, solos, historical background, and most of all does an impressive job describing what the music is meant to convey and how we know that's what Beethoven intended. Beethoven himself (and he has always been my favorite overall composer) is handled as very much a mortal man with all his flaws, arrogance, genius, circumstances, etc. It was an amazing course, and Greenberg does an exceptional job on it. I have to assume that the written materials that accompany these lectures are very helpful/comprehensive to the student, because if I didn't have musical background and didn't already know what key everything was in, I'd really have struggled to keep up with processing the information. Thank goodness Beethoven had only 9 symphonies! I drank these up and felt like it was a water hose - despite knowing that tons was being left out. It really is incredible how comprehensive Beethoven's symphonies are.
November 23, 2025
Dr. Robert Greenberg is energetic, effusive, loquacious, hyperbolic, … yeah, he’s not everyone’s cup of Viennese coffee. But… he knows his subject. And while some don’t like his style, I like it. He’s one of my preferred Great Courses lecturers. (I listen to these on long drives - not a podcast or audiobook fan, but courses? I’m down for them.)
You’ll get history, the artist’s history, both histories as context for the composition of the works, and a detailed, if necessarily incomplete (only so much time he could devote to each piece) analysis of the style, harmonics, rhythms, dissonance, transitions, forms, themes, motives, phrases, … well, everything.
Yes, there is a heavy dose of history, but I agree with Greenberg that that is essential to frame his subjects with contemporary events, personal background, life conditions to better understand the development of the style, the composer, the composition, etc. As such, there is considerable overlap with at least three other lecture series highlighting Beethoven but that’s to be expected, and more than okay with me. I will more probably than not revisit this again. Good stuff.
You’ll get history, the artist’s history, both histories as context for the composition of the works, and a detailed, if necessarily incomplete (only so much time he could devote to each piece) analysis of the style, harmonics, rhythms, dissonance, transitions, forms, themes, motives, phrases, … well, everything.
Yes, there is a heavy dose of history, but I agree with Greenberg that that is essential to frame his subjects with contemporary events, personal background, life conditions to better understand the development of the style, the composer, the composition, etc. As such, there is considerable overlap with at least three other lecture series highlighting Beethoven but that’s to be expected, and more than okay with me. I will more probably than not revisit this again. Good stuff.
May 9, 2017
exaggeration--and I have never been disappointed until this series of lectures on the 9 Beethoven symphonies. I wonder if this was one of the earliest lectures that Greenberg produced, because his delivery and content are markedly different, and poorer, than any of the other 7 or 8 courses of his I've listened to. I disagree with his analysis of many parts of the 5th, and nearly all of the 6th (my two favorite symphonies by any composer) and found his incessant speaking over and counting along with the musical examples to be absolutely infuriating--again, things that have never happened in any other lecture of his I've listened to.
That being said, I am happy to have finally listened to the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 8th symphonies (of which I previously knew nothing), and Greenberg's excitement for the music and his historical scholarship is still excellent and inspiring. Wish it had been better, but it was still pretty good once you ignored the frustrating idiosyncrasies.
That being said, I am happy to have finally listened to the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 8th symphonies (of which I previously knew nothing), and Greenberg's excitement for the music and his historical scholarship is still excellent and inspiring. Wish it had been better, but it was still pretty good once you ignored the frustrating idiosyncrasies.
November 1, 2020
A disappointment, it feels a little mailed in compared to his exquisite exquistions on Louie's sonatas and string quartets. The best parts are on the 3rd and 4th period I couldn't believe what short shift he gave to the seventh symphony, especially that his thesis that the whole thing is a sort of dance requires a lot more thought and evidence. And after he states that he is sad that he just doesn't have the time to spend on the 7th symphony, he plays a very long passage from Wellington's victory simply to show what a bad piece of music it is. Much of the work here is warmed over or from his work In The Life of Beethoven, and since the seven symphony doesn't feature very strongly in that, but the Revival of Beethoven's career after Wellington's Victory does, therefore the seven symphony gets the bum's rush. This is one of his first courses, so he's still just getting his sealegs; a few times he refers to the way he's teaching, and apologizes for for using the word "weird" -- his antic good humor yes yet to become a consistent persona and instead there's occasional distracted self-consciousness.
Having said that I thought that the section on the 4th symphony was tremendous, and the section on the 8th th symphony was very good too. I'd already had problems with his interpretation of the 5th symphony in the life of beethoven, and some of his opinions about how he thinks certain intent are present in choices that Beethoven makes, where I think he's finding musical jokes where there aren't any, a good example of being is the fugue in the third movement of the fifth
Having said that I thought that the section on the 4th symphony was tremendous, and the section on the 8th th symphony was very good too. I'd already had problems with his interpretation of the 5th symphony in the life of beethoven, and some of his opinions about how he thinks certain intent are present in choices that Beethoven makes, where I think he's finding musical jokes where there aren't any, a good example of being is the fugue in the third movement of the fifth
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2017
For anyone interested in learning to appreciate Beethoven's symphonies beyond a casual listening, these lectures are indispensable. I was very disappointed that the 7th Symphony was covered in an abysmally short two lectures, but even that is just another way of saying there should have been a couple of more lectures.
A note of caution though: you need to have covered some preliminary ground in Western Classical appreciation and should already be familiar with the symphonies to get the most out of these lectures. If you have rarely listened to them, these lectures may just be a good inspiration to listen and study them more, but they are not introductory lectures for someone new to them.
A note of caution though: you need to have covered some preliminary ground in Western Classical appreciation and should already be familiar with the symphonies to get the most out of these lectures. If you have rarely listened to them, these lectures may just be a good inspiration to listen and study them more, but they are not introductory lectures for someone new to them.
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.
August 17, 2018
I have loved everything else by Prof. Greenberg, but this one is too far over my head. Not his fault of course, so my rating isn't a criticism of him but rather a recognition of my own level of musical understanding. Five stars, however, for the symphonies, all of which I listened to in their entirety twice during the lecture series.
November 29, 2018
Enjoyed this course immensely, and also benefited from it a lot in the concert hall. I started the course in preparation for the NAC's Beethoven Festival in September. The "word-score" approach was very valuable for deepening my appreciation of the larger symphonic structures, as well as the small-scale musical detail.
February 7, 2017
"And his nine symphonies are among the greatest achievements of the human spirit."
32 lectures | 45 minutes each
1-4 Beethoven and the Heroic Style
5-6 Symphony No.1- Beethoven as Classicist
7-8 Symphony No.2-Beethoven at the Edge
9-12 Symphony No.3- The New Path
13-16 Symphony No.4-Consolidation of the new Aesthetic
17-19 Symphony No.5-The Expressive Ideal Fully Formed
20-22 Symphony No.6-The Symphony as Program
23-24 Symphony No.7-The Symphony as Dance
25-27 Symphony No.8-Homage to Classicism
28-32 Symphony No.9-The Symphony as the World
This is one of my favorite courses yet from the Great Courses Company and especially Professor Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. I have heard some of the music before such as the great 5th Symphony, but I can’t say I understood it at all.
This course helps you to understand what you are listening to and why it was written in this particular way. It also shows you how Beethoven took music from its beginnings and stretched it to its limits. The Professor felt that if Beethoven lived today, he would have loved Jazz music and even Rock and Roll. (Of course, he probably would have lost his hearing even quicker now.)
Of all the music I listened to in this course, I loved the 6th Symphony the best. It spoke to me of nature and the people and their relationship with the earth.
The Professor also fills us in on Beethoven’s private life. We learn who his “Immortal Beloved” was and his strange relationship with his brothers and sisters-in-law. He was a genius but also a very weird personality.
Along with these lectures comes a book written by Dr. Greenberg to help you listen to the complete symphonies by yourself. Now Amazon Prime has Leonard Bernstein’s collector’s edition of all of Beethoven’s Symphonies for Prime members.
I loved this course and highly recommend. I received this course as an anniversary pick from Audible. It was well worth any price.
32 lectures | 45 minutes each
1-4 Beethoven and the Heroic Style
5-6 Symphony No.1- Beethoven as Classicist
7-8 Symphony No.2-Beethoven at the Edge
9-12 Symphony No.3- The New Path
13-16 Symphony No.4-Consolidation of the new Aesthetic
17-19 Symphony No.5-The Expressive Ideal Fully Formed
20-22 Symphony No.6-The Symphony as Program
23-24 Symphony No.7-The Symphony as Dance
25-27 Symphony No.8-Homage to Classicism
28-32 Symphony No.9-The Symphony as the World
This is one of my favorite courses yet from the Great Courses Company and especially Professor Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. I have heard some of the music before such as the great 5th Symphony, but I can’t say I understood it at all.
This course helps you to understand what you are listening to and why it was written in this particular way. It also shows you how Beethoven took music from its beginnings and stretched it to its limits. The Professor felt that if Beethoven lived today, he would have loved Jazz music and even Rock and Roll. (Of course, he probably would have lost his hearing even quicker now.)
Of all the music I listened to in this course, I loved the 6th Symphony the best. It spoke to me of nature and the people and their relationship with the earth.
The Professor also fills us in on Beethoven’s private life. We learn who his “Immortal Beloved” was and his strange relationship with his brothers and sisters-in-law. He was a genius but also a very weird personality.
Along with these lectures comes a book written by Dr. Greenberg to help you listen to the complete symphonies by yourself. Now Amazon Prime has Leonard Bernstein’s collector’s edition of all of Beethoven’s Symphonies for Prime members.
I loved this course and highly recommend. I received this course as an anniversary pick from Audible. It was well worth any price.
September 16, 2019
“It’s horrible! It’s...kitsch! And of course, it was Viennese public’s favorite work EVER by Beethoven.”
The storytelling, the charisma, the knowledge, the humour, and the one and only Robert Greenberg. Paired with one of my favorite composers, this is a failproof recipe for (Ode to) joy. :D
The storytelling, the charisma, the knowledge, the humour, and the one and only Robert Greenberg. Paired with one of my favorite composers, this is a failproof recipe for (Ode to) joy. :D
October 27, 2021
It was OK. I didn't enjoy it like I did another course by Greenberg titled "Bach and the High Baroque" that I've also studied. I wouldn't blame Greenberg, however, but instead my own idiosyncrasies and taste. If you have a particular interest in Beethoven this one might be for you.
September 2, 2018
Все про теорию я пропустила мимо ушей, конечно же. Но и оставшееся было очень познавательно.
April 16, 2019
1996, a
February 26, 2020
Very educational and entertaining. Great background on the person and times as well as the music. I'm a better composer after reading this book.
October 20, 2023
Good stuff but I was hoping for different details.
December 23, 2020
Another outstanding audiocourse by Bob Greenberg, filled with his usual admixture of erudition, humor, biography/history and above all else, close detailed analysis of the music. As always, I appreciate how he focuses on the details of what's going on 'under the hood' (harmony, structure, etc.) that listeners without a background in music theory can perceive-- but might not fully understand-- and then connects those to the overall meaning and experience of the piece.
May 14, 2016
Professor Greenberg's gift of story-telling always makes every lecture fascinating!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews