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The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works

By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
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Publisher's Summary

Over the centuries, orchestral music has given us a category of works that stand apart as transcendent expressions of the human spirit. What are these "greatest of the greats"? Find out in these 32 richly detailed lectures that take you on a sumptuous grand tour of the symphonic pieces that continue to live at the center of our musical culture. These thirty masterworks form an essential foundation for any music collection and a focal point for understanding the orchestral medium and deepening your insight into the communicative power of music. While seasoned music lovers will find the lectures a revealing journey through the repertoire, the course welcomes newcomers to orchestral music, offering a very accessible point of entry to this magnificent repertoire.

You'll encounter symphonies, concertos, tone poems, symphonic poems, and suites, delving into the works through extensive musical excerpts. The course covers the major eras and stylistic periods in Western music from the early 18th- to the mid-20th centuries and highlights a wide range of European and American works. Among these: Haydn's Symphony no. 104, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, and Shostakovich's Symphony no. 5. Throughout these lectures, you'll learn about the major musical forms found in orchestral writing and how they're used in conveying expressive meanings. Knowing how these forms work allows you to grasp the structure of the music as you hear it, and also to appreciate how the greatest composers used them, extended them, and finally departed from them in sublimely original ways.

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

©2011 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2011 The Great Courses

What listeners say about The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best music courses I’ve heard.

Four things I look for in an online course -
1. Knowledge. Stuff I didn’t know (or maybe had wrong).
2. Entertainment
3. No “insider jargon” that keeps me rushing to Google.
4. Plenty of things to follow up.
This course gets full marks on all four.
Bravo!

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1 person found this helpful

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Adventures with my music library

The course covers most of the works and composers you would expect. I had an enjoyable time listening to the music before listening to the lecture. The lectures then gave new meaning to what i had listened to and provided important historical setting to the master work and the composer. At this price a must listen for all music lovers.

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Always enjoyable

Great combination of music and discussion, I always discover new composers and works to listen to

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Comprehensive analysis from a wonderful speaker

A wonderful speaker with real information and dad jokes. I now realize that works I have heard all my life I never really understood because the composer's notes and the historical and political context was missing. Now all I need is the same detailed analysis for all the major works not just 30.

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Exceptional Course

This course is exceptionally good. Robert Greenberg teachers with an infectious enthusiasm and no BS style. Great selection of works,

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Motivation to listen to the complete works

Really enjoyed it although sometimes repetitive. At least each lecture can stand alone. As an orchestral player I was disappointed by conductors not educating their orchestras, especially youth orchestras.

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