-
The Music of Richard Wagner
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Series: The Great Courses: Fine Arts & Music
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Lecture
- Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Music
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $41.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Great American Music: Broadway Musicals
- By: Bill Messenger, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Bill Messenger
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rodgers and Hart. George and Ira Gershwin. Cole Porter. Lerner and Loewe. For most people who've grown up with and shared America's musical heritage, great songs open the floodgates to memories and feelings. Perhaps nowhere is this more profound than in the world of Broadway musicals, with their iconic melodies and memorable lyrics.Revisit the standards, originally written for the stage, that have both delighted and helped mend the broken hearts of Americans for decades.
-
-
More conservative than I expected
- By D. E. Dickerson on 05-22-17
By: Bill Messenger, and others
-
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.
-
-
Disappointment
- By MAdison on 03-11-18
-
Masterpieces of Ancient Greek Literature
- By: David J. Schenker, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David J. Schenker
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ancient Greeks left the world that came after them-particularly our own and our ways of seeing it-an incalculable legacy. Mention politics, philosophy, law, medicine, history, even the visual arts, and we barely scratch the surface of what we owe this extraordinary culture. How can we best learn about these people who have given us so much, who have deepened and enriched our understanding of ourselves, and whose world remains far closer than we might imagine? The 36 lectures of this sparkling series from a frequently honored teacher is an outstanding place to begin.
-
-
Great Overview of Greek Literature!
- By Christopher on 04-04-15
By: David J. Schenker, and others
-
How to Read and Understand Shakespeare
- By: Marc C. Conner, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Marc C. Conner
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shakespeare's works are among the greatest of humanity's cultural expressions and, as such, demand to be experienced and understood. But, simply put, Shakespeare is difficult. His language and culture - those of Elizabethan England - are greatly different from our own, and his poetry, thick with metaphorical imagery and double meanings, can be hard to penetrate.
-
-
To Listen or Not to Listen…
- By Ark1836 on 10-13-15
By: Marc C. Conner, and others
-
Wagnerism
- Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music
- By: Alex Ross
- Narrated by: Alex Ross
- Length: 28 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alex Ross, renowned New Yorker music critic and author of the international best seller and Pulitzer Prize finalist The Rest Is Noise, reveals how Richard Wagner became the proving ground for modern art and politics - an aesthetic war zone where the Western world wrestled with its capacity for beauty and violence.
-
-
Not Just for Wagner Experts!
- By Rupert Pupkin on 09-26-20
By: Alex Ross
-
The Enlightenment Invention of the Modern Self
- By: Leo Damrosch, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Leo Damrosch
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 24 lectures that let you see the world through the eyes of the Enlightenment's greatest writers, follow the origin of new ways of thinking-ideas we today take for granted but are startlingly recent-about the individual and society. You'll discover how these notions emerged in an era of transition from a world dominated by classical thought, institutional religion, and the aristocracy to one that was increasingly secular, scientific, skeptical, and middle class.
-
-
Might be the best of the Great Courses
- By GEC on 08-23-16
By: Leo Damrosch, and others
-
Great American Music: Broadway Musicals
- By: Bill Messenger, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Bill Messenger
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rodgers and Hart. George and Ira Gershwin. Cole Porter. Lerner and Loewe. For most people who've grown up with and shared America's musical heritage, great songs open the floodgates to memories and feelings. Perhaps nowhere is this more profound than in the world of Broadway musicals, with their iconic melodies and memorable lyrics.Revisit the standards, originally written for the stage, that have both delighted and helped mend the broken hearts of Americans for decades.
-
-
More conservative than I expected
- By D. E. Dickerson on 05-22-17
By: Bill Messenger, and others
-
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.
-
-
Disappointment
- By MAdison on 03-11-18
-
Masterpieces of Ancient Greek Literature
- By: David J. Schenker, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David J. Schenker
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ancient Greeks left the world that came after them-particularly our own and our ways of seeing it-an incalculable legacy. Mention politics, philosophy, law, medicine, history, even the visual arts, and we barely scratch the surface of what we owe this extraordinary culture. How can we best learn about these people who have given us so much, who have deepened and enriched our understanding of ourselves, and whose world remains far closer than we might imagine? The 36 lectures of this sparkling series from a frequently honored teacher is an outstanding place to begin.
-
-
Great Overview of Greek Literature!
- By Christopher on 04-04-15
By: David J. Schenker, and others
-
How to Read and Understand Shakespeare
- By: Marc C. Conner, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Marc C. Conner
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shakespeare's works are among the greatest of humanity's cultural expressions and, as such, demand to be experienced and understood. But, simply put, Shakespeare is difficult. His language and culture - those of Elizabethan England - are greatly different from our own, and his poetry, thick with metaphorical imagery and double meanings, can be hard to penetrate.
-
-
To Listen or Not to Listen…
- By Ark1836 on 10-13-15
By: Marc C. Conner, and others
-
Wagnerism
- Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music
- By: Alex Ross
- Narrated by: Alex Ross
- Length: 28 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alex Ross, renowned New Yorker music critic and author of the international best seller and Pulitzer Prize finalist The Rest Is Noise, reveals how Richard Wagner became the proving ground for modern art and politics - an aesthetic war zone where the Western world wrestled with its capacity for beauty and violence.
-
-
Not Just for Wagner Experts!
- By Rupert Pupkin on 09-26-20
By: Alex Ross
-
The Enlightenment Invention of the Modern Self
- By: Leo Damrosch, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Leo Damrosch
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 24 lectures that let you see the world through the eyes of the Enlightenment's greatest writers, follow the origin of new ways of thinking-ideas we today take for granted but are startlingly recent-about the individual and society. You'll discover how these notions emerged in an era of transition from a world dominated by classical thought, institutional religion, and the aristocracy to one that was increasingly secular, scientific, skeptical, and middle class.
-
-
Might be the best of the Great Courses
- By GEC on 08-23-16
By: Leo Damrosch, and others
-
The American Identity
- By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 24 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What defines an American? Is it the love of liberty, the pursuit of justice, the urge to invent, the desire for wealth, the drive to explore, the quest for spiritual values? The paradox of American identity is that although the United States is a melting pot of many different traditions, motives, and ideals, there are nevertheless distinctive qualities that define the American character.
-
-
Endlessly Fascinating and Entertaining Stories
- By Quaker on 01-23-14
By: Patrick N. Allitt, and others
-
European Thought and Culture in the 19th Century
- By: Lloyd Kramer, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Lloyd Kramer
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 19th century, Europe was the crucible for most of the ideas, institutions, and "isms" that now shape the life of our entire planet-nationalism, capitalism, democracy, socialism, feminism, and the list goes on and on. But where did these ideas come from? Over the course of 24 sweeping lectures, Professor Kramer invites you to view intellectual history as a series of overlapping, interconnected dialogues....
-
-
One of the best great courses I've listened to
- By Eliza M on 06-27-16
By: Lloyd Kramer, and others
-
The Italian Renaissance
- By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth R. Bartlett
- Length: 18 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The effects of the Italian Renaissance are still with us today, from the incomparable paintings of Leonardo da Vinci to the immortal writings of Petrarch and Machiavelli. But why was there such an artistic, cultural, and intellectual explosion in Italy at the start of the 14th century? Why did it occur in Italy? And why in certain Italian city-states such as Florence? Professor Bartlett probes these questions and more in 36 dynamic lectures.
-
-
Great Course but need written text
- By Listen on 07-04-14
By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, and others
-
Plato's Republic
- By: The Great Courses, David Roochnik
- Narrated by: Professor David Roochnik Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than 2,000 years later, Plato's Republic remains astonishingly relevant to our everyday lives. It poses one question after another that might well have been drawn from the headlines and debates of our nation's recent history: What sort of person should rule the state? Are all citizens equal before the law? Should everyone have equal access to health care? Plato's greater inquiry, however, was into the question of defining justice itself and the reasons why a person would choose a life aligned with that virtue.
-
-
Teaches how to think not what to think!
- By Gary on 07-11-18
By: The Great Courses, and others
-
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.
-
-
And funny!
- By Heather A Gregg on 04-18-17
By: Philip Daileader, and others
-
The History of World Literature
- By: Grant L. Voth, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Grant L. Voth
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether around the campfire, between the covers of a great book, or in the theater, the desire to tell stories has been a common human impulse for thousands of years. These 48 lectures take you on a journey through time and around the world-from the enormous auditoriums of ancient Greece to a quiet study in the home of a 19th-century New England spinster - to introduce the history of world literature. In this course, you'll sample some of the greatest literary expressions the world has known and experience storytelling in its many forms, including poetry, drama, and narrative.
-
-
Excellent introduction to world literature
- By Richard on 12-16-14
By: Grant L. Voth, and others
-
The Greek and Persian Wars
- By: John R. Hale, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John R. Hale
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spanning more than two centuries, the Greek and Persian wars forged a new world order, sparking developments in battle strategy, naval technology, world exploration, and art and culture that impact the world even today. These 24 lectures are your opportunity to survey this globe-spanning conflict and see the human experience behind some of the most remarkable episodes in ancient history.
-
-
Outstanding
- By Feedback on 01-21-14
By: John R. Hale, and others
-
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....
-
-
No visuals provided! Very hard to follow without.
- By Anonymous User on 03-23-20
By: David Kung, and others
-
The History of Christianity in the Reformation Era
- By: Brad S. Gregory, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Brad S. Gregory
- Length: 18 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It still takes a major effort of historical imagination to enter the minds of those who lived during the Reformation Era; who were willing to suffer martyrdom or martyr others for what we would regard as minor doctrinal differences. These 36 lectures are designed to take you inside the minds of those who supported the Reformation and those who resisted it.
-
-
A bit biased in favor of catholicism, But Good
- By JakeTheSnake on 07-18-18
By: Brad S. Gregory, and others
-
The Development of European Civilization
- By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth R. Bartlett
- Length: 24 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In almost every way that matters, historical Europe was the laboratory in which the world you now live in was conceived and tested. And you'll be living with the consequences for the rest of your life. These 48 lectures lead you through the doors of that laboratory and guide you through the development of Europe from the late Middle Ages through the eve of World War II.
-
-
To sum up; Globalism Good - Nationalism Bad
- By Oliver Murray on 02-13-20
By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, and others
-
History of Science: Antiquity to 1700
- By: The Great Courses, Lawrence M. Principe
- Narrated by: Lawrence M. Principe
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For well over 2,000 years, much of our fundamental "desire to know" has focused on science. Our commitment to science and technology has been so profound that these stand as probably the most powerful influences on human culture. To truly understand our Western heritage, our contemporary society, and ourselves as individuals, we need to know what science is and how it developed. In this 36-lecture series, one of science's most acclaimed teachers takes you through science's complex evolution of thought and discovery.
-
-
Would give it 6 stars if I could
- By Kat Cat on 10-22-18
By: The Great Courses, and others
-
Natural Law and Human Nature
- By: The Great Courses, Father Joseph Koterski S.J.
- Narrated by: Father Joseph Koterski S.J.
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Natural law is the idea that there is an objective moral order, grounded in essential humanity, that holds universal and permanent implications for the ways we should conduct ourselves as free and responsible human beings.These 24 in-depth lectures consider the arguments for natural law, the serious objections that have been raised against it, and the ways, despite all overt criticisms, it remains a vital and even pervasive force in political, moral, and social life today, even while traveling under another name.
-
-
Conservative Christian apologetics
- By C. Mozee-baum on 05-30-20
By: The Great Courses, and others
Publisher's Summary
In these 24 lectures filled with musical excerpts, enjoy a rich and multifaceted exploration of the trailblazing works and outsized life of this historically pivotal composer.
Your immersion in Wagner's art includes the following:
- The Flying Dutchman (which illustrates several of Wagner's key compositional innovations)
- Tannhäuser (the saga of a medieval knight torn between two worlds)
- Tristan and Isolde (Wagner's crowning masterpiece)
- And, of course, The Ring of the Nibelung (arguably the single most ambitious theater work ever created)
The sheer outlandishness of Wagner's life makes for an endlessly intriguing story, from his desperate escapades outrunning creditors to his obsessive personal relationships to his utopian artistic schemes. In his writings, letters, and public actions, you investigate the often contradictory - and hypocritical - aspects of his personality. And, reflecting on the nationalist spirit of his time, you track his core desire to make "German Art in the service of a German national identity," even as he created a body of works whose communicative power transcends any national boundary.
With Professor Greenberg's passionate and razor-sharp commentary, you'll plumb the fabulous mystery of a man who gave the world something of deeply compelling and universal resonance: music of great genius and a poetry that reveals the depths of the human psyche.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
More from the same
Author
What listeners say about The Music of Richard Wagner
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Acteon
- 10-14-13
Wonderful
Where does The Music of Richard Wagner rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Among the best.
What other book might you compare The Music of Richard Wagner to and why?
This is more extensive than most of Greenberg's introductions to great composers. I generally find that the longer the course, the better it is.
Have you listened to any of Professor Robert Greenberg’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have listened to a great many. This is among the best. Not that it has no flaws (yes, there is a lot of recounting of plots; and Prof.Greenberg's pronunciation of German and French words leaves much to be desired), but Prof. Greenberg speaks with such verve and insight that his presentation of Wagner is both exhilarating and educational.
Any additional comments?
I am not exactly a novice in classical music or in opera (I have seen many of the Wagner operas in German opera houses as well as in Paris), but this audiobook extended and deepened my knowledge and understanding of both the music and the man, and it did so in a most enjoyable and stimulating manner.
I might add that those who are unfamiliar with Greenberg might be put off, as I initially was, by his brash way of speaking and his mispronunciation of foreign words (surprising considering his cultivation and his composer's musical ear). It would be a great shame however to let these keep one away! In time, I began to find his mannerisms more endearing than disturbing — to my own benefit for I have gained much through listening to his lectures.
24 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JW
- 05-01-19
Nibelung revenge against Wagner
This Nibelung, aka failed composer and professor Greenberg, cannot hide his contempt and jealousy for the greatest artist of all time. Not a minute goes by without a snarky, whining, slimy attack on Wagner’s personality, motivations, or creative works. The author endeavors to bring any honorable or noble expression of Wagner down into the gutter. It must be hard for Greenberg and his people to understand that true artists are motivated by more than selfishly collecting as many gold coins as possible. One can easily imagine that Greenberg’s main motivation for this series, other than increasing his gold pile, is to undermine the greatness of Wagner to avenge something Wagner must have said. Maybe Wagner wrote some essay about incapable musicians like Greenberg that hit a raw nerve?
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pablo
- 04-05-15
excellent, as usual
the courses taught by Prof. Greenberg are always extremely interesting, well paced, well researched and very entertaining.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jim G.
- 04-17-20
Wagner As Accessible
Though Wagner’s music has always moved me greatly, I have avoided immersing myself in his story and have never been to a performance of his work. For me, as a Jew, he has always been anathema. But having come to trust and admire the Western music repertoire as analyzed and taught by Robert Greenberg, I relented recently. Gently, with perspective, realism and humor, he took me into the Wagner story. The Music of Richard Wagner is an immersion in artistic splendor and an unvarnished look at a man who gave himself over to the worst of racist instincts. I cannot reconcile Wagner’s music genius and his evil, anti-Semitic blather. But now, thanks to Professor Greenberg, I don’t have to. Yes, Wagner was a putz of the most awful sort. But I embrace his music and to spite his memory — give the finger to his racist dramatic claptrap.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Harold Wise
- 12-14-16
Engaging and interesting storytelling!
Where does The Music of Richard Wagner rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This was really a great listen! Richard Wagner is a super interesting character that everyone should learn about.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Music of Richard Wagner?
When I realised that the opera "Der Ring Des Nibellung" has similar themes to the "the Lord of the Rings" novel by JRR Tolkien. I didn't know that such stories existed in German mythology. It was a revelation!
What does Professor Robert Greenberg bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Robert Greenberg brings energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, humour and wit. It was a pleasure to listen to!
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Mostly laugh!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SunareeK
- 10-09-20
Superficial and Inane
The content was superficial and the atrocious attempts at humor significantly reduce the quality of the analysis.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- babylon baroque
- 10-18-18
Cynicism and Wagner
I’m not sure why Robert Greenberg , who obviously loves Wagner’s musical genius yet possesses such a cynical sarcastic opinion of this complicated , frustrating and yet exhilarating genius felt compelled to host this particular lecture series .
Greenberg’s incessant snarky and sarcastic asides might satisfy and delight a great many listener but this Wagnerite found them exhausting, tedious and ultimately unhelpful.
I do think Greenberg is well informed yet his populist sarcasm left me feeling impoverished and disappointed in this lecture series .
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ongeblozzen
- 06-26-19
Informative. marred by stand-up comedy performance
Although I have learned a great deal from this book with its undoubtedly solid scholarship, I found that the author's frequent corny jokes and attempt to connect Wagner opera to our own time in a tongue in cheek manner detracts from the real story which is powerful and important.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- wbiro
- 03-12-19
I Enjoyed the Subject and Presentation
My first foray into Wagner. I've listened to a lot of Greenberg already, and I can count on his enthusiasm.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Timoteo
- 03-07-18
Outstanding course of lectures
I once read a review of a course by Professor Greenberg indicating that he could make reading a grocery list interesting. This is especially true in the video version but is also true here in the purely audio version. Dr. Greenberg fully appreciates Wagner but does not shy away from finding fault in him. For example, Dr. Greenberg is highly critical of Parsifal, finding the opera to be an embodiment of racial views of Wagner, who was an antisemite and German nationalist. Wagner was a genuis composer but a bad person (he also had some sort of compulsive spending disorder). Each of Wagner's major operas is discussed, always with musical excerpts, the sound quality of which is variable because they are old and live recordings. This is one of my all time favourite courses by The Great Courses.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mr
- 01-31-14
Wagner, the man and the mythos
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, to anyone put off by the seeming intellectual / artistic /political heights of Wagner thsi course is brilliant in being both informative, engaging and does not place Wagner on a pedestal whilst still acknowledging his artistic greatness.
What other book might you compare The Music of Richard Wagner to, and why?
To any of the other insightful courses of Professor Greenberg
What does Professor Robert Greenberg bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
His always lively and engaging tone.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It made me have an incredibly conflicted view of Wagner - which I think is possibly the best way to view him.
Any additional comments?
I'd urge anyone daunted by Classical music or Opera to try one of Robert Greenberg's courses.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kindle Customer
- 02-28-22
Succinct.
Well presented and generally enthusiastic about the music. The man himself, Wagner was loathsome. Apart from Die Feen and Rienzi all his other opera stories were pure rubbish. If opera was your forte stick with Verdi, Mozart and Monterverdi. Wagner output is twaddle unfortunately.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- emrys
- 10-16-19
A Wonderful Course
An intricate and deeply enjoyable perusal of the music of Wagner. We study the works of Wagner, perhaps spending too much time on the story aspect, rather than the musical side, which, to me , rather spoiled the lectures.
Whilst I can only give high credit to the lectures as a whole, I did get rather fed up with the emphasis on Wagner's anti -semitism. There is no doubt that this element of Wagner's character, to a modern audience at least, is pretty reprehensible, but there were times I found it rather took over the lectures. I particularly found this in PARSIFAL - my favourite opera.
In spite of the above comments, I thought the whole series of lecture were excellent.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Olly Buxton
- 02-03-19
Really well pitched and entertaining intro
Professor Greenberg is an entertaining and witty speaker, and balances musical and textual analysis with historical and cultural context. Just the right mix.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- S. Dunthorne
- 07-20-15
Great course!
Would you listen to The Music of Richard Wagner again? Why?
Very informative and I'll revisit sections as I go to see the Operas.
Who was your favorite character and why?
My favourite character was Wagner! (daft question!!!)
Which character – as performed by Professor Robert Greenberg – was your favourite?
This is a course not a novel reading! He should lay off the jokes a bit though.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The Ring Cycle and Parsifal.
Any additional comments?
THese prompted reviews aren't a one-size fits all you know Amazon!!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kevin Viney
- 06-24-15
Astonishing, larger than life - Wagnerian?
A tremendous introduction to the music and mythology that makes up the life and works of Richard Wagner.
Happy to recommend this as a way into Wagner and all he represents that is easy to listen to and very informative.
-
Overall

- Anonymous User
- 11-17-18
Review
Poor insight into the operas. Poor introduction to Wagner. Not a serious introduction to Wagner and his works