Listen free for 30 days
-
Great Masters: Beethoven - His Life and Music
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Series: The Great Courses: Fine Arts & Music
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Lecture
- Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Music
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £14.09
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Great Masters: Mahler - His Life and Music
- By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 23
More than many other composers, Gustav Mahler's works are highly personal expressions of his inner world, a world of overwhelming alienation and loneliness. You'll learn, through both lectures and musical excerpts, how his symphonies are vast repositories of his intellectual, emotional, and spiritual expression that made him the first exponent of Expressionism, the early 20th-century art movement that celebrates inner reality as the only reality - but explored by Mahler using the musical language of the century just ended.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good introduction to Mahler
- By G. A. Thart on 17-01-19
-
Great Music of the 20th Century
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Robert Greenberg PhD
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
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. 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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Wonderful Piece of Work
- By ColonelJames on 20-03-18
-
America’s Musical Heritage
- By: Anthony Seeger, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Anthony Seeger
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6
Professor Seeger reveals the origins of the American music industry; the impact of instruments like the piano and the banjo; and the myriad ways music has shaped American wars, dances, elections, and public demonstrations. You’ll learn the secret histories of songs, including “The President’s March”, “Amazing Grace”, and “We Shall Overcome”, You’ll also hear informative interviews and eclectic performances from scholar-musicians, and sample original recordings that reflect the incredible richness of the American musical experience.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
So nice to listen to.
- By Anonymous User on 07-08-20
-
The Life & Times of Beethoven
- The First Angry Man
- By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 46
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 41
In The Life & Times of Beethoven, celebrated composer and music historian Professor Robert Greenberg of San Francisco Performances gives you a unique perspective on a musical genius the likes of which the world had never seen before - or since. Blending biography, history, and music appreciation, these 10 lectures portray Beethoven’s extraordinary (and still modern-sounding) music as a direct outgrowth of his life, environment, and interior emotional landscape.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
interesting but no music
- By Criticaldad on 06-06-20
-
Music and the Brain
- By: Aniruddh D. Patel, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Aniruddh D. Patel
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
Music is an integral part of humanity. Every culture has music, from the largest society to the smallest tribe. Its marvelous range of melodies, themes, and rhythms taps in to something universal. Babies are soothed by it. Young adults dance for hours to it. Older adults can relive their youth with the vivid memories it evokes. Music is part of our most important rituals, and it has been the medium of some of our greatest works of art.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Clear intro to the neuroscience of music
- By Jan W. H. Schnupp on 26-11-15
-
Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany
- By: Catherine Kleier, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Catherine Kleier
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
Dr. Catherine Kleier invites us to open our eyes to the phenomenal world of plant life and to the process she calls “Natura Revelata”, the joy of celebrating and learning from the secrets of nature. As Dr. Kleier shares her knowledge with contagious excitement for her subject, she emphasizes the middle ground: Instead of focusing on cell microbiology or the study of ecosystems and habitats, she stresses the basic biology, function, and the amazing adaptations of the plants we see all around us.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
felt as though is for children.
- By Johnny Randoll on 30-12-19
-
Great Masters: Mahler - His Life and Music
- By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 23
More than many other composers, Gustav Mahler's works are highly personal expressions of his inner world, a world of overwhelming alienation and loneliness. You'll learn, through both lectures and musical excerpts, how his symphonies are vast repositories of his intellectual, emotional, and spiritual expression that made him the first exponent of Expressionism, the early 20th-century art movement that celebrates inner reality as the only reality - but explored by Mahler using the musical language of the century just ended.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good introduction to Mahler
- By G. A. Thart on 17-01-19
-
Great Music of the 20th Century
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Robert Greenberg PhD
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
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. 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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Wonderful Piece of Work
- By ColonelJames on 20-03-18
-
America’s Musical Heritage
- By: Anthony Seeger, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Anthony Seeger
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6
Professor Seeger reveals the origins of the American music industry; the impact of instruments like the piano and the banjo; and the myriad ways music has shaped American wars, dances, elections, and public demonstrations. You’ll learn the secret histories of songs, including “The President’s March”, “Amazing Grace”, and “We Shall Overcome”, You’ll also hear informative interviews and eclectic performances from scholar-musicians, and sample original recordings that reflect the incredible richness of the American musical experience.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
So nice to listen to.
- By Anonymous User on 07-08-20
-
The Life & Times of Beethoven
- The First Angry Man
- By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 46
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 41
In The Life & Times of Beethoven, celebrated composer and music historian Professor Robert Greenberg of San Francisco Performances gives you a unique perspective on a musical genius the likes of which the world had never seen before - or since. Blending biography, history, and music appreciation, these 10 lectures portray Beethoven’s extraordinary (and still modern-sounding) music as a direct outgrowth of his life, environment, and interior emotional landscape.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
interesting but no music
- By Criticaldad on 06-06-20
-
Music and the Brain
- By: Aniruddh D. Patel, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Aniruddh D. Patel
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 67
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
Music is an integral part of humanity. Every culture has music, from the largest society to the smallest tribe. Its marvelous range of melodies, themes, and rhythms taps in to something universal. Babies are soothed by it. Young adults dance for hours to it. Older adults can relive their youth with the vivid memories it evokes. Music is part of our most important rituals, and it has been the medium of some of our greatest works of art.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Clear intro to the neuroscience of music
- By Jan W. H. Schnupp on 26-11-15
-
Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany
- By: Catherine Kleier, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Catherine Kleier
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
Dr. Catherine Kleier invites us to open our eyes to the phenomenal world of plant life and to the process she calls “Natura Revelata”, the joy of celebrating and learning from the secrets of nature. As Dr. Kleier shares her knowledge with contagious excitement for her subject, she emphasizes the middle ground: Instead of focusing on cell microbiology or the study of ecosystems and habitats, she stresses the basic biology, function, and the amazing adaptations of the plants we see all around us.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
felt as though is for children.
- By Johnny Randoll on 30-12-19
-
How Music and Mathematics Relate
- By: David Kung, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David Kung
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9
Great minds have long sought to understand the relationship between music and mathematics. Both involve patterns, structures, and relationships. Both generate ideas of great beauty and elegance. Music is a fertile testing ground for mathematical principles, while mathematics explains the sounds instruments make and how composers put those sounds together. Understanding the connections between music and mathematics helps you appreciate both, even if you have no special ability in either field....
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Impossible to follow even with the pdf
- By Eddy on 18-01-20
-
Classics of British Literature
- By: John Sutherland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John Sutherland
- Length: 24 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 138
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 125
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 124
For more than 1,500 years, the literature of Great Britain has taught, nurtured, thrilled, outraged, and humbled readers both inside and outside its borders.Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, Swift, Conrad, Wilde-the roster of powerful British writers is remarkable. More important, Britain's writers have long challenged readers with new ways of understanding an ever-changing world.This series of 48 fascinating lectures by an award-winning professor.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Perfect for Newcomers to Serious Literature
- By Jonathan on 11-10-14
-
The Skeptic's Guide to Alternative Medicine
- By: Steven Novella MD, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Steven Novella MD
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 73
Energy medicine. Acupuncture. Superfoods. Healing magnets. What does the scientific evidence really say about these and other eclectic treatments for personal wellness that fall under the popular term “alternative medicine”? How can we know if a treatment is safe and effective? How can you become your own best skeptical consumer of health news in the media? Join neurologist and science educator Dr. Steven Novella for a fascinating exploration of these and other important questions about the truths - and myths - behind alternative medicine.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Meh
- By indykatley on 06-02-22
-
Rome and the Barbarians
- By: Kenneth W. Harl, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth W. Harl
- Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 46
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
The history of the Romans as they advanced the frontiers of Classical civilization is often told as a story of warfare and conquest-the mighty legions encountering the "barbarians." But this only tells one side of the story.Who were the Celts, Goths, Huns, and Persians met by the Romans as they marched north and east? What were the political, military, and social institutions that made Rome so stable, allowing its power to be wielded against these different cultures for nearly three centuries?
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Awful delivery.
- By Farah on 03-08-14
-
The Rise and Fall of the British Empire
- By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 18 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 590
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 521
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 517
What were the forces that thrust the British Empire to its extraordinary position of greatness and then just as powerfully drove it into decline? And why is nearly every nation on earth, in one way or another, the consequence of the British Empire?In these 36 lectures, Professor Allitt leads you through four centuries of British power, innovation, influence, and, ultimately, diminishment-four profound centuries that literally remade the world and bequeathed the complex global legacy that continues to shape your everyday life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A pleasure to listen to.
- By michael frost on 17-02-17
-
The Late Middle Ages
- By: Philip Daileader, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Philip Daileader
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 127
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 107
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 105
The Late Middle Ages-the two centuries from c. 1300 to c. 1500 - might seem like a distant era, but students of history are still trying to reach a consensus about how it should be interpreted. Was it an era of calamity or rebirth? Was it still clearly medieval or the period in which humanity took its first decisive steps into modernity? These 24 provocative lectures introduce you to the age's major events, personalities, and developments, and arms you with the essentials you need to form your own ideas about this age of extremes.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Some insughtscsome mistakes
- By Ed on 06-04-22
-
Masters of War: History's Greatest Strategic Thinkers
- By: The Great Courses, Andrew R. Wilson
- Narrated by: Andrew R. Wilson
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 122
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 106
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
From Napoleon's revolutionary campaigns to the way insurgency, terrorism, and nuclear weaponry have defined the nature of warfare in the 21st century, the results of military strategy have changed the course of history. These 24 thought-provoking lectures give you an inside look at both the content and historical context of the world's greatest war strategists. From the triremes and hoplites of ancient Greece to the Special Forces in 21st-century Afghanistan, strategy is the process by which political objectives are translated into military action.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A touch partisan and willfully blind.
- By Jimbo Jones on 19-08-18
-
The Odyssey of Homer
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 102
What is it in Homer's Odyssey that has so enthralled readers from around the world for thousands of years? By joining Professor Vandiver for these 12 lectures on the Odyssey, you'll find out why.This literary exploration centers on a single provocative question about the epic poem's protagonist, Odysseus: Why does he long so powerfully to go home? To probe the depths of this question, you'll embark on meticulous, insightful examinations of the most important episodes in the Odyssey.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Get it!
- By Prof. Paul Williams, Bristol, UK on 17-05-21
-
Beethoven
- A Life in Nine Pieces
- By: Laura Tunbridge
- Narrated by: Laura Tunbridge
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
Beethoven by Oxford Professor Laura Tunbridge cuts through the noise in a refreshing way. Each chapter focuses on a period of his life, a piece of music and a revealing theme, from family to friends, from heroism to liberty. It's a winning combination of rich biographical detail, insight into the music and surprising new angles, all of which can transform how you listen to his works. We discover, for example, Beethoven's oddly modern talent for self-promotion, how he was influenced by factors from European wars to instrument building and how he was heard by contemporaries.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent.
- By Mac on 18-10-21
-
Wagnerism
- Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music
- By: Alex Ross
- Narrated by: Alex Ross
- Length: 28 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
For better or worse, Wagner is the most widely influential figure in the history of music. Around 1900, the phenomenon known as Wagnerism saturated European and American culture. A mighty procession of writers, artists and thinkers felt his impact. Anarchists, occultists, feminists and gay-rights pioneers saw him as a kindred spirit. Then Adolf Hitler incorporated Wagner into the soundtrack of Nazi Germany and the composer came to be defined by his ferocious anti-Semitism. Neither apologia nor condemnation, Wagnerism is a work of intellectual passion.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
A predictable post-modernist disection
- By Voice of reason on 05-09-21
-
Classical Music for Dummies, 2nd Edition
- By: David Pogue, Scott Speck
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2
Classical Music for Dummies is a friendly, funny, easy-to-understand guide to composers, instruments, orchestras, concerts, recordings, and more. Classical music is widely considered one of the pinnacles of human achievement, and this informative guide will shows you just how beautiful and rewarding it can be. You'll learn how Bach is different from Beethoven, how Mozart is different still, and why not all "classical" music is actually Classical if it's really Baroque or Romantic.
-
The History of Classical Music
- By: Richard Fawkes
- Narrated by: Robert Powell
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
From Gregorian Chant to Henryk Gorecki, the first living classical composer to get into the pop album charts, here is the fascinating story of over a thousand years of Western classical music and the composers who have sought to express in music the deepest of human feelings and emotions. Polyphony, sonata form, serial music - many musical expressions are also explained - with the text illustrated by performances from some of the most highly praised recordings of recent years.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very pleasant way to read a book !
- By Kindle Customer on 23-12-12
Summary
Have you ever wondered how the lives of great composers - especially when set against the social, political, and cultural context of their world - influenced their music?
After listening to this perceptive series of eight lectures on the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven, you will likely find that you hear his work in an entirely different way, with your insight informed by new knowledge of how Beethoven was able to create masterpieces from the crises of his life.
You'll learn about the years of progressive hearing loss - ultimately to produce total deafness - and the understandable agony and rage such a fate would bring upon a composer. About his deep depression over the end of his relationship with the woman he calls his Immortal Beloved. About his pathological hatred of authority, his persecution complex, even delusional behaviors.
But you'll also learn how each of these crises, and many others, served to drive Beethoven inward, to reinvent himself and redeem his suffering through art, creating disruptive works of profound passion and beauty that reinvented the nature of musical expression in the Western world.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
What listeners say about Great Masters: Beethoven - His Life and Music
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 20-05-19
BEETHOVAN EXPOSED
BEETHOVAN CAME TO LIFE AS A COMPOSER AND AS A MAN HE REMAINS IN MY OPINION THE GREATEST COMPOSER BUT HE HAD MANY FAULTS AS A MAN
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- hfffoman
- 29-03-17
The most annoying speaker I have ever heard
Any additional comments?
I do not think I have ever listened to a speaker as annoying as this one. He talks like a clown, his entire manner is supercilious, he puts a ridiculous emphasis on unnecessary words and he throws in inappropriate jokes (I mean that not in the PC sense) that made me want to scream. I fear that the sound of him shouting "AND I QUOTE... ...UNQUOTE" will haunt me for many weeks.
The content is interesting. Of course, Beethoven's life was just so fascinating, I would put it in the category of things everyone ought to study. The material isn't novel. Any decent biography of Beethoven will give you the same stories and the same interpretation of them, probably in more depth - though a book won't give you the musical extracts.
My recommendation would be to read a book about Beethoven's life and then listen to the lectures by Jonathan Biss available free on coursera. They are incomparably superior to this buffoon.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 02-12-14
The strangest rabbit hole yet!
What did you love best about Great Masters: Beethoven - His Life and Music?
I have been journeying with Dr. G for several months now. Whenever I feel at a loss, I grab a supplemental lecture and jump down the rabbit hole. So I have learned about the lives of Bach and Mozart, and about the concerto and look forward to learning about the symphony—while using “How to Listen to and Understand Great Music” as my foundation. I just got back from the life of Beethoven—amazing music, amazing but wild gent—not at all what I expected--his life was more difficult, more sad. But I am stunned by how he changed the course of music despite the struggles of his own life. I will listen to his music with a different ear.
33 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carla Littleton
- 14-11-14
Comprehensive and entertaining
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This audiobook covers Beethoven thoroughly and with humorous asides that are interesting.
What did you like best about this story?
I really like the inclusion of first hand materials such as excerpts from letters and legal documents that give Beethoven and his contemporaries voice in the lectures.
What does Professor Robert Greenberg bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Professor Greenberg is spectacular at using voice and tone to express emotion. This further brings to life the readings of first hand sources in a way I wouldn't necessarily experience by simply reading the material myself.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I found myself laughing at several points in the lecture due to the turn of phrase or exuberant interjection of emotion in the lecture. i also found that the professor was as good at expressing the sad portions of the lectures as well, such as Beethoven's frustration over his hearing loss.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Russell Bernard
- 29-07-14
Great lecture about a very onery guy
Robert Greenberg does a wonderful job. If you are into music his lectures are not to be missed. This is the seventh lecture I have enjoyed from the composer great courses.Two more to go Mahler and Shostakovich. Get them all you will love them and learn all the good stuff about how music is written and the lives of these amazing dysfunctional men.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- ANDRÉ
- 30-12-14
Excellent Biography!
This Great Master: Beethoven-- His Life and Music is a great find. The biography is non linear, told by a prizewinner professor, Robert Greenberg. The professor is a great enthusiast of Beethoven, and that shows in his lectures. He accompanies the biography with Beethoven music, and points out why that sonata is good, or not so good, and what was happening to him in that time. Great listening!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anne
- 23-12-14
Could not stop listening.
Normally, a Great Courses audible course is a treat I indulge in when I am on the treadmill. Today I was on the treadmill and started this course. Although I've been listening to or watching Great Courses for years - many dozens of them - It is the first Great Masters course I've tried. I became so thoroughly engaged that I couldn't stop listening. For the rest of my day off, while I went to the market, folded laundry, finished Christmas gift wrapping and did some holiday baking I listened. While I made our dinner I listened. When I normally would sit down in the afternoon and read for a couple of hours, I listened instead. I finished it in one day.
This is a fascinating. engaging, amazing story. I have always rather like Beethoven's music, but I had no idea about his life. What an amazing character! And Professor Greenburg really brought him to life and brought him into MY life. He made the man seem as real to me as John Lennon or Annie Lennox.
The Professor is passionate about music and I learned a fair amount about how Beethoven impacted the history of western music. I will seek out some of Beethoven's work and listen with more interest and appreciation thanks to this course.
Highly recommend.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kathy in CA
- 03-05-15
He Certainly Brings Beethoven to Life!
I don't think you can be disappointed with a Robert Greenberg lecture unless you are a terrible stuffed shirt. He is so full of enthusiasm and knowledgeable about his subject you can't help but be drawn in. Just knowing these interesting tidbits of information about Beethoven makes listening to his amazing music that Greenberg samples for us so much more enjoyable.
I listened to the lectures with my daughter while on a recent working vacation helping her out with her new business in Hawaii. So many times we caught each others eyes and smiled or outright laughed at Greenberg's enthusiastic descriptions of the composer's life. This is educational entertainment at its best. I came to purchase this current offering after listening to Greenberg's much longer course, How To Listen To And Understand Great Music, a spectacular experience of a much bigger scope, of 36 plus hours.
So, of course, I am recommending this audio lecture.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul
- 28-09-13
Ahh... Beethoven
Would you consider the audio edition of Great Masters: Beethoven - His Life and Music to be better than the print version?
n/a
What other book might you compare Great Masters: Beethoven - His Life and Music to and why?
Mozart, his life and music. Excellent overview
What about Professor Robert Greenberg’s performance did you like?
That he didn't edit the ugly with the good.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Laugh, and think deeply about the man who wrote the music I love to play and listen to.
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carol
- 02-01-15
Superlative "lecture:"
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Excellent. Not exactly irreverent, but not worshipful, down-to-earth telling of the story of the greatest composer so far. The book is entertaining, no, very entertaining, and informative. It had me laughing aloud, to my surprise. I expect to do something I haven't done before -- when it ends, immediately start it over. Then I'll look for others by the same author/reader.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Delivery occasionally over the top, forgivable.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Douglas
- 20-12-14
Great Course
Would you consider the audio edition of Great Masters: Beethoven - His Life and Music to be better than the print version?
Yes
What did you like best about this story?
How Beethovan did his best works following devastating trials in his life.
Have you listened to any of Professor Robert Greenberg’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes. Greenberg is great. He has passion and his use of language is awesome and refreshing. He is a good as many professional narrators.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The ending of the 9th Symphony when the singer turned him around so he could see the reaction of the audience.
Any additional comments?
I like this professor. He is inspiring because he knows so much about the subject of his courses. I can't imagine how long it must take him to write these lectures. He is passionate and funny/entertaining.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ruth Ann
- 14-01-15
Educational AND a rip roaring good time!
This biography is not only educational but FUN! What a genius! What a life and the professor/lecturer is great, nary a dull moment. Sure, Beethoven was cranky but he had his reasons and after listening to this book, I have one of the greatest critic rebuff quotes of all time from the lips of maestro Beethoven himself !I could sit in this guy's class all day long and be enlightened. I plan on listening to more books in the series. Hoping others are as knowledgable and enthusiastic as this prof!
2 people found this helpful
