
How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition
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Narrated by:
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Robert Greenberg
About this listen
Great music is a language unto its own, a means of communication of unmatched beauty and genius. And it has an undeniable power to move us in ways that enrich our lives - provided it is understood.
If you have ever longed to appreciate great concert music, to learn its glorious language and share in its sublime pleasures, the way is now open to you, through this series of 48 wonderful lectures designed to make music accessible to everyone who yearns to know it, regardless of prior training or knowledge. It's a lecture series that will enable you to first grasp music's forms, techniques, and terms - the grammatical elements that make you fluent in its language - and then use that newfound fluency to finally hear and understand what the greatest composers in history are actually saying to us.
And as you learn the gifts given us by nearly every major composer, you'll come to know there is one we share with each of them - a common humanity that lets us finally understand that these were simply people speaking to us, sharing their passion and wanting desperately to be heard. Using digitally recorded musical passages to illustrate his points, Professor Greenberg will take you inside magnificent compositions by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Verdi, Wagner, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and more. Even if you have listened to many of these illustrative pieces throughout your life - as so many of us have - you will never hear them the same way again after experiencing these lectures.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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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-
Story
What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
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Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
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Composers
- Their Lives and Works
- By: DK
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Introduced with more than 90 biographical entries that trace the friendships, loves, and rivalries that inspired each musical genius and their work. Profiles offer revealing insights into what drove each individual to create the musical masterpieces - symphonies, concertos, and operatic scores - that changed the direction of classical music and are still celebrated as masterpieces today.
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Exceeded my expectations
- By PavFan on 02-21-22
By: DK
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Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills
- By: Steven Novella, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Steven Novella
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Original Recording
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No skill is more important in today's world than being able to think about, understand, and act on information in an effective and responsible way. What's more, at no point in human history have we had access to so much information, with such relative ease, as we do in the 21st century. But because misinformation out there has increased as well, critical thinking is more important than ever. These 24 rewarding lectures equip you with the knowledge and techniques you need to become a savvier, sharper critical thinker in your professional and personal life.
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Same Material Different Title
- By rkeinc on 09-21-14
By: Steven Novella, and others
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The History of Jazz, Second Edition
- By: Ted Gioia
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 21 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Ted Gioia's History of Jazz has been universally hailed as a classic - acclaimed by jazz critics and fans around the world. Now Gioia brings his magnificent work completely up-to-date, drawing on the latest research and revisiting virtually every aspect of the music, past and present. Gioia tells the story of jazz as it had never been told before, in a book that brilliantly portrays the legendary jazz players, the breakthrough styles, and the world in which it evolved. Here are the giants of jazz and the great moments of jazz history.
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An Exciting Opportunity Missed
- By Kindle Customer on 02-02-15
By: Ted Gioia
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The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis
- By: Louis Markos, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Louis Markos
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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What can we still learn from C.S. Lewis? Find out in these 12 insightful lectures that cover the author's spiritual autobiography, novels, and his scholarly writings that reflect on pain and grief, love and friendship, prophecy and miracles, and education and mythology.
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Basically a collection of sermons
- By Richard on 11-20-13
By: Louis Markos, and others
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The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
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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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Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
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Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
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The Iliad of Homer
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
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For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the
Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people. Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece -whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the
Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.
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Vandiver never disappoints
- By Machteacher on 07-23-13
By: Elizabeth Vandiver, and others
Would you listen to How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition again? Why?
Absolutely, lots of insightful informationWho was your favorite character and why?
Guillaume de MachautWhich character – as performed by Professor Robert Greenberg – was your favorite?
n/aIf you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
n/aAny additional comments?
I have listened to classical music all my life, but never really had a deep knowledge of its forms or history. This lecture series has given me a much deeper understanding and greatly broadened my musical pallet.I especially enjoyed the history of ancient music.
A fascinating, entertaining, and informative jour
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
(This field requires I write 15 words or 25 characters, but I don't have an answer to the question. This is a nonfiction book, and most of my friends like fiction.)What other book might you compare How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition to and why?
(This field requires I write 15 words or 25 characters, but I don't have an answer to the question.)Which character – as performed by Professor Robert Greenberg – was your favorite?
(This field requires I write 15 words or 25 characters, but I don't have an answer to the question. This is a nonfiction book.)Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
(This field requires I write 15 words or 25 characters, but I don't have an answer to the question.)Any additional comments?
His lecture provides a basic understanding of Western "classical" music (he prefers the term "concert" music), along with a heavy dose of Prof. Greenberg's personal preferences. Nonetheless, his lecture style may appeal to some and turn off others -- like a heavy spiced curry, you're likely to either love it or hate it. For example, he says "my friends" when introducing new points in his lectures. This happens a lot.Prof. Greenberg's lecture style wears a little thin if you batch-listen to the lectures -- they are better spaced out. Like my art history teachers in school, his explanation of history not within his field of expertise is oversimplified to the point of being misleading -- if you studied Western history in some detail, you may find some of his somewhat old-fashioned understanding of change in European history a turn-off. This is most egregious in his first lecture, where he discounts all music in the non-Western tradition as unworthy of study because it did not change -- an assertion that would shock scholars of, say, Chinese operatic traditions, just to name one. But most folks will probably be fine with it, and you know who you are in either case.
One problem is that the course materials are not included with the purchase. Prof. Greenberg refers to these in passing several times, and it would be extremely helpful to have a copy handy for reference. It took all my creative googling skills to find the name of a medieval French song (it turned out to be written "Quant en moy" by the prolific Guillame de Marchaut) with only a knowledge of modern French to guide me (I had imagined "Contes en noir" in my head from only hearing it said briefly, so this took some time!). Having the course materials available would have made such searches much easier in tracking down recordings.
Interesting lectures, lacks course material
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So much enthusiasm
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Excellent Overview of a Challenging Topic
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Simply put, one of.the best experiences of my life
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Beautiful course
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Hooked 20min into Chapter 1!!!
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Would you listen to How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition again? Why?
I periodically re-listen to the entire 35+ hour lecture series. Professor Greenberg does what seemingly every "Intro to Western Music" class fails to do: provides a critical framework for interpreting the major broad strokes of European music, from ancient to post-modern.What did you like best about this story?
Professor Greenberg brought the music to life in a way that continues to captivate my imagination. I love thinking about the culture that created the Seikelos Epitaph, an Ancient Greek work studied in this lecture. I love putting myself in the heads of the monks who composed chants, or into the brains of the Renaissance composers creating a tonal system, or into the heads of the German Baroque or Classical composers and comparing their approach to that of the Italians, French, or Russians.What does Professor Robert Greenberg bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He injects enough personality to be like a tour guide to the subject. He gives context just when it is needed, and in just the right amounts. He knows when to re-emphasize themes, what is fresh in our heads and what overwhelms the listener. I feel like I'm listing to a true fan and student of the Western music tradition, someone with his own idiosyncrasies, yes, but also a broad and empathetic appreciation of each composer and era.If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Everything you wanted to know about Classical Music but were embarrassed to askAny additional comments?
After a dozen or so lecture series on the humanities, arts, history, and other topics, I return to this as the cream of the crop. This remains the most captivating of my Audible purchases, one that I return to periodically to retrain my ear for, and appreciation of, the vast diversity of Western concern music. At this price point, I simply cannot recommend it enough.The Definitive Survey of Western Art Music
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Narrator is excellent.
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What made the experience of listening to How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition the most enjoyable?
All of the elements of this work contributed to its success. Professor Greenberg is a powerful teacher and profound scholar in that he takes us into the love of his life, and shares with us everything we ever wanted to know about music, how it works and why it is so indispensable and elemental to us.Who was your favorite character and why?
Professor Greenberg breathed life into each historic character he has presented here, including the character of the music he introduces us to.Which scene was your favorite?
My favorite moment is the course so far has been the reviving of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony for our listening ear. We are able to see the brilliant intention and architecture of Beethoven, rescued from the oblivion of its own success as an icon of our society.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No. This is an audio book that shifts the Person of your being, because music changes us. If you give yourself to owning this work as Professor Greenberg has given himself to preparing it, you cannot possibly be the same person, and such changes take time. My words seem extravagant to our all too sophisticated "Talking Head" sound-bite sensitivities. However, we have trivialized our lives, and this work helps us back to a gravitas we thought lost forever.A Music and History Master Class
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