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The Operas of Mozart cover art

The Operas of Mozart

By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
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Summary

When Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in 1791 at the age of just 35, he nonetheless left behind the defining composition in every available musical genre of his time: symphony, chamber music, masses, and above all - opera. Opera was the prestige genre of the era, and the thought of it, Mozart wrote, made him "beside myself at once." It was a form he loved dearly, depending on it heavily for personal, professional, artistic, and financial reasons of the greatest weight.

Artistically, the world of the operatic stage spoke deeply to his primal instinct for play, his taste for fantasy, and his restless creative imagination. And in this rich series of eight entertaining lectures, you'll learn how his operas vied with one another for the acclaim reserved for the greatest achievements of human artistic striving: Idomeneo, The Abduction from the Harem, The Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, and The Magic Flute, which premiered only ten weeks before his untimely death.

In addition to summarizing Mozart's life and artistic development, the lectures focus on two of his greatest masterpieces, Così fan tutte and The Magic Flute, to help you understand more fully the height of Mozart's operatic achievement.

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

©2003 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2003 The Great Courses

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Not a great course at all!

What disappointed you about The Operas of Mozart?

Aside from about half an hour of the first lecture, which is biographical, this 'course' is actually just a massive plot summary of the mentioned operas. He literally just translates a scene, plays it, translates a scene, plays it, ad nauseum. There is no analysis or insight here. Just save yourself time and get a translation of the libretto and a CD of the opera!

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5 people found this helpful

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Thank you, Professor Greenberg

A thoroughly engaging, lively and unpompous guide to Mozart and his operas. Audiobook was made for this type of content and Robert Greenberg's presentation takes full advantage of the medium. i would also recommend the other Greenberg Great Course audiobooks on music. Does what is promised in helping the listener understand and appreciate great music.

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2 people found this helpful

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Impossible to choose chapters

I found it impossible to find what I wanted when the chapter/ lecture titles aren’t visible. This needs to be addressed urgently.

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1 person found this helpful

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Entertaining!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. I found Professer Greenberg's enthusiastic and jokey presentation quite engaging although it might not appeal to every.one. He concentrates heavily on Cosi fan Tutte and The Magic Flute possibly overmuch and maybe more insight into the background to the operas and more music rather than a recitation of the plot lines would have been preferable. However overall very enjoyable.

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Wow!

I wish I’d had such an inspirational musicologist as a teacher when I was at school. This was such a fabulous series of lectures. Dr. Greenberg deserves to be on the stage as well as in the lecture theatre. He has such a great delivery, often camp, and when he referred to his daughter I could have been knocked over by a feather! I learnt so much - many thanks to him.

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