Listen free for 30 days
-
Great Masters: Liszt - His Life and Music
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Series: The Great Courses: Fine Arts & Music
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 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 £14.49
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: Robert and Clara Schumann - Their Lives and Music
- By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In all the annals of Western music, there has never been a couple like the Schumanns: he a pioneering critic and composer (the only ever to achieve greatness as both), she one of the leading concert pianists of Europe, as well as a composer of no small talent herself. This series of eight lectures by an award-winning composer and acclaimed teacher includes excerpts of works by both of the Schumanns as part of an introduction to an extraordinary couple and the musical legacy left to us in spite of the difficulties that dogged their marriage.
-
-
the accompanying PDF is the best thing.
- By Mahmood on 15-10-20
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
interesting but no music
- By Criticaldad on 06-06-20
-
America’s Musical Heritage
- By: Anthony Seeger, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Anthony Seeger
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
So nice to listen to.
- By Anonymous User on 07-08-20
-
Great Music of the 20th Century
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Robert Greenberg PhD
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
A Wonderful Piece of Work
- By ColonelJames on 20-03-18
-
How Music and Mathematics Relate
- By: David Kung, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David Kung
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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....
-
-
Impossible to follow even with the pdf
- By Eddy on 18-01-20
-
The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: Greg Wagland
- Length: 19 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you could travel back in time, the period from 1660 to 1700 would make one of the most exciting destinations in history. It's the age of Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London, bawdy comedy and the libertine court of Charles II, Christopher Wren in architecture, Henry Purcell in music and Isaac Newton in science. In The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, Ian Mortimer answers the crucial questions that a prospective traveller to 17th-century Britain would ask.
-
-
Informative, interesting and entertaining history
- By Kirstine on 21-09-17
-
Great Masters: Robert and Clara Schumann - Their Lives and Music
- By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In all the annals of Western music, there has never been a couple like the Schumanns: he a pioneering critic and composer (the only ever to achieve greatness as both), she one of the leading concert pianists of Europe, as well as a composer of no small talent herself. This series of eight lectures by an award-winning composer and acclaimed teacher includes excerpts of works by both of the Schumanns as part of an introduction to an extraordinary couple and the musical legacy left to us in spite of the difficulties that dogged their marriage.
-
-
the accompanying PDF is the best thing.
- By Mahmood on 15-10-20
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
interesting but no music
- By Criticaldad on 06-06-20
-
America’s Musical Heritage
- By: Anthony Seeger, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Anthony Seeger
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
So nice to listen to.
- By Anonymous User on 07-08-20
-
Great Music of the 20th Century
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Robert Greenberg PhD
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
A Wonderful Piece of Work
- By ColonelJames on 20-03-18
-
How Music and Mathematics Relate
- By: David Kung, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David Kung
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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....
-
-
Impossible to follow even with the pdf
- By Eddy on 18-01-20
-
The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: Greg Wagland
- Length: 19 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you could travel back in time, the period from 1660 to 1700 would make one of the most exciting destinations in history. It's the age of Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London, bawdy comedy and the libertine court of Charles II, Christopher Wren in architecture, Henry Purcell in music and Isaac Newton in science. In The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, Ian Mortimer answers the crucial questions that a prospective traveller to 17th-century Britain would ask.
-
-
Informative, interesting and entertaining history
- By Kirstine on 21-09-17
-
The Great Trials of World History and the Lessons They Teach Us
- By: Douglas O. Linder, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Douglas O. Linder JD
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No understanding of the past is complete without an understanding of the legal battles and struggles that have done so much to shape it. Inside a survey of world history's greatest trials are the key insights to critical issues we still talk about today, including freedom of speech, the death penalty, religious freedom, and the meaning of equality. Join Professor Linder for these 24 lectures that investigate important legal cases from around the world and across the centuries.
-
-
Excellent, but title a little misleading
- By AV Maniac on 17-02-18
-
Music and the Brain
- By: Aniruddh D. Patel, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Aniruddh D. Patel
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Clear intro to the neuroscience of music
- By Jan W. H. Schnupp on 26-11-15
-
Herodotus: The Father of History
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Witness the "works and wonders" of the ancient world through the eyes of its first great historian in this sparkling series of 24 lectures from a much-honored teacher and classical scholar.Herodotus (c. 484-420 B.C.E.) was a Greek who was born in what is now the modern Turkish resort town of Bodrum and who died, so tradition says, in the south of Italy. In between, his tirelessly inquiring mind took him from one corner of the known world to another.
-
-
If you love Herodotus, listen to this!
- By Michael on 08-10-16
-
An Introduction to Greek Philosophy
- By: David Roochnik, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David Roochnik
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than 2,500 years later, the fundamental questions asked by the ancient Greeks continue to challenge, fascinate, and instruct us. Is reality stable and permanent or is it always changing? Are ethical values like justice and courage relative? What is justice? What is happiness? How shall we best live our lives?In this series of 24 lectures, Professor Roochnik invites you to join this eternal discussion.
-
-
Excellent introduction to Greek philosophy
- By Gerry Lynch on 26-03-14
-
The Late Middle Ages
- By: Philip Daileader, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Philip Daileader
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Some insughtscsome mistakes
- By Ed on 06-04-22
-
Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths of Language Usage
- By: John McWhorter, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Conventional wisdom suggests English is going to the dogs, that bad grammar, slang, and illogical constructions signal a decline in standards of usage - to say nothing of the corruption wrought by email and text messages. But English is a complicated, marvelous language. Far from being a language in decline, English is the product of surprisingly varied linguistic forces, some of which have only recently come to light. And these forces continue to push English in exciting new directions.
-
-
An unputdownably fun series of lectures
- By Kira Adams on 06-11-18
-
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
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
A touch partisan and willfully blind.
- By Jimbo Jones on 19-08-18
-
William Shakespeare: Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies
- By: Peter Saccio, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Peter Saccio
- Length: 18 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shakespeare's plays - whether a comedy like A Midsummer Night's Dream, a history like Henry IV, or a tragedy like Hamlet - are treasure troves of insight into our very humanity. These 36 lectures introduce you to Shakespeare's major plays from each of these three genres and explain the achievement that makes him the leading playwright in Western civilization.
-
-
Excellent insights to the Shakespearean world
- By Mark Kelly on 15-08-17
-
Philosophy of Science
- By: Jeffrey L. Kasser, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jeffrey L. Kasser
- Length: 18 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What makes science science? Why is science so successful? How do we distinguish science from pseudoscience? This exciting inquiry into the vigorous debate over the nature of science covers important philosophers such as Karl Popper, W. V. Quine, Thomas Kuhn, Paul Feyerabend, Imre Lakatos, Carl Hempel, Nelson Goodman, and Bas van Fraassen.
-
-
Difficult, massive and very, very good
- By Júlio César Martins on 05-12-18
-
The Art of Public Speaking: Lessons from the Greatest Speeches in History
- By: John R. Hale, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John R. Hale
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Being a great public speaker can put you on the pathway to success, whether you're looking to teach, inform, persuade, or defend an idea. Yet many of us live in fear of public speaking. As you'll learn in these 12 invaluable lectures, all it takes is confidence, practice, and the knowledge of techniques and strategies used by history's greatest public speakers. Whether you want to finally become the confident public speaker you've always wanted to be or are just looking for fresh advice on how to strengthen your skills, this inspiring course is packed with practical advice.
-
-
Useful for any public speaker
- By Mr. J. A. Ball on 25-05-20
-
The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad
- By: Joyce E. Salisbury, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Joyce E. Salisbury
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spain has played a unique and essential role in Western civilization. To understand the unfolding of Spain's epic history is to come to terms with one of the West's great cultures, and to grasp its enduring presence and impact on the world stage. In these 24 accessible lectures, Professor Salisbury presents a broad and enthralling panorama of Spanish history, covering the centuries from the first prehistoric settlement of the peninsula to Spain's 20th century civil war.
-
-
Good but very much an overview
- By Ed on 12-04-21
-
Mind-Body Philosophy
- By: Patrick Grim, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick Grim
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How is it that our brain creates all the subjective experiences of our lives every single day - the experiences we call reality? That is the mind-body problem. In Mind-Body Philosophy, Professor Patrick Grim of the State University of New York at Stony Brook leads an intellectually exhilarating tour through millennia of philosophy and science addressing one of life's greatest conundrums. But you won't just be a spectator as Dr. Grim engages and encourages each of us to come to our own conclusions.
-
-
Makes philosophical concepts accessible.
- By jannine on 31-08-17
Summary
More than anyone before him - more than Beethoven, Byron, even the preternatural Paganini - it was Franz Liszt who created one of the most enduring archetypes of the Romantic era: that of the artist, "who walks with God and brings down fire from heaven in order to kindle the hearts of humankind."
An innovative composer both for his own instrument and on an orchestral scale, Liszt was without a doubt the greatest pianist of his time and perhaps the greatest of all time, stunning even the most jaded critics and listeners everywhere he went with his sheer virtuosity and almost unbelievable musical gifts - even while playing whatever instrument was available in whatever hall he could find during his arduous travels by mail coach throughout Europe. Yet even though his fame and achievement make him one of the most written about composers of the 19th century, musically he remains the least understood. And as for his life, perhaps a good place to begin is with Felix Mendelssohn's observation that Liszt's character was "a continual alternation between scandal and apotheosis." Still, for every lover of music, Liszt remains someone you must understand, and this eight-lecture series is an ideal place to begin your acquaintance with both the man and his music.
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: Liszt - His Life and Music
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Claude Schmit
- 11-10-21
Exceptional narration!
After hundreds of audiobooks, I did not think I could be this blown away by a narrative style. The story is told in an exceptionally lively and exciting fashion that keeps you wanting for more. A multitude of musical examples of Liszt's music are also given to give context to the story.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mahmood
- 26-10-20
RECOMMENDED.
Anyone who is interested in Liszt, who listened to his music and saw his portraits and pictures will realize the the MAN CARRIED HIMSELF WITH AN AIR OF SUPERIORITY. YET NOT A BAD ONE, RARHER A ONE THAT ENTERTAINED OUR HEART AND SURPRISED US BY THE HIGH ADVANCEMENT OF HIS KEYBOARD PLAYING.
I LOVE YOU LISZT AND YOU WILL BE THE BEST MUSICIAN WHI TOUCHED THE PIANO. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US IN OUR DARK DAYS.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- TM
- 24-11-16
The Greatest Liszt Presentation Ever
Would you listen to Great Masters: Liszt - His Life and Music again? Why?
The Great Courses series can often be a mixed bag of tricks, but Robert Greenberg's "Great Masters: Liszt - His Life and Music" is the third Great Masters lecture series I've downloaded and the best so far. Not only has Professor Greenberg enlightened and clarified certain aspects of Liszt's career, his insight into the scores and physical requirements of the performers were fascinating to listen to. Of all the varied Great Courses I've sat in on, Greenberg's are the most thoughtful, well researched, best organized, most clearly articulated and, without a doubt, contain the greatest level of enthusiasm. My only complaint was that the course eventually ended. The professionalism of Professor Greenberg was exceptional. No stuttering "ah, ah" pauses, extreme organization and captivating audience engagement. The man loves his work and succeeds in passing that endearment on to the listener. Justice was certainly done to the great Franz Liszt.
What did you like best about this story?
The professionalism of the lecturer. No "ah, ahs", extreme organization and audience engagement. The man loves his work and succeeds in passing the love on to the listener.
Which scene was your favorite?
Impossible to say. Every moment was riveting.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I was surprised that someone so flamboyant and as self-engrossed as Liszt could be so generous.
Any additional comments?
I plan on listening to all of Professor Greenberg's lectures. I would strongly recommend Great Courses engage him for more courses.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- QuantumNorth
- 22-08-21
Animated synopsis of Liszt
Per usual, Robert Greenberg gives an overly excited, but still enjoyable, biography of another famous classical musician's life and accomplishments. Liszt was a wonderful pianist, and a misunderstood composer. Using his deep understanding of music, Greenberg is able to point out subtle reasons why Liszt was innovative and unique for his era.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Allegra Stevens
- 11-07-20
Excellent introduction to Listz
I was never interested in pursuing/playing any of Listz’s piano pieces. Well I’ll still not because they are far above my skill level BUT I will start to listen to a lot more Listz’s work. They are incredible. Once again Dr Greenberg provided the perfect context to present Listz and his amazing music. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- john
- 15-03-18
a truly fantastic presentation all around
just as the title of my review states... a tremendously talented man... Liszt. almost equaled By the fantastic passion and presentation by Ronald Greenberg.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- JoAnn B.
- 15-05-17
Best
Could not have been told by any other professor. He puts you there. Excellent! Listen...
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mike
- 04-05-17
Professor Greenberg excels.....as always
Is Robert Greenberg Audibles best narrator?I think so.So to all music lovers,listen to Great Masters:Liszt,it's simply the best.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ktina
- 14-03-17
Delightful
What made the experience of listening to Great Masters: Liszt - His Life and Music the most enjoyable?
I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture series on the life and works of Liszt. Didn't realize he was the musical idol of his day.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- RFC
- 28-01-17
Another Enjoyable Book from Greenberg
It was so good, that I never paused! If you like Greenberg, you will like this book.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- David
- 23-01-16
What a story! What a presentation! What a musician
I will look for any other presentations by Professor Greenberg. He turns his love of the story into my love of the story.
In these 8 lectures (performances), the professor brings a musical genius to life, allowing you to follow his life, talent, and intrigue, in a way someone living in that time would have appreciated it. Thank you.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Russell Bernard
- 19-12-14
Lizt was on my list and should be on your!
What made the experience of listening to Great Masters: Liszt - His Life and Music the most enjoyable?
Dr Greenberg as usual is very informative and interesting. I evan think his jokes are funny.
I have listened to almost all of his composers series. Dig in deep and learn about these great men.
What other book might you compare Great Masters: Liszt - His Life and Music to and why?
All of Dr. Greenberg's lectures will enthrall you so buy this and all his lectures on the great composers they are cheap and short.