Bach and the High Baroque

By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Professor Robert Greenberg Ph.D. University of California Berkeley

Though unappreciated in his own time, Johann Sebastian Bach has ascended to Olympian heights, the verdict of contemporary audiences long since overruled by succeeding generations of music lovers. But what makes his music great? In this series of 32 lectures, a working composer and musicologist brings his exceptional teaching skills to the task of helping you hear the extraordinary sweep of Bach's music. You'll understand the compositional language that enabled him to compose such extravagant, unbridled music while still maintaining precise control of every aspect - beat, melody, melodic repetition, interaction, and harmony. Whether devoted admirer or casual listener, you'll gain a new appreciation of the composer and a heightened skill at listening to his work.

You begin by learning the musical traditions and composers that inspired Bach, and how he absorbed those influences to become the transcendent composer of the High Baroque, more representative of the period and its aesthetic of emotional extravagance and technical control than any other. And you'll learn how both his German Lutheran heritage and family background - at least 42 relatives professionally involved with music - helped shape him as an artist.

Above all, though, you experience an abundance of music, with Professor Greenberg highlighting his discussions by playing major excerpts from several of Bach's most important works - including the Brandenburg Concerto no. 2, the Goldberg Variations, and the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor - and also showing you how to compare Bach with other composers both before and after his time.

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

©1995 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1995 The Great Courses

Another Fabulous Greenberg Course

This is the fourth music course presented by Professor Greenberg I have listened to and every one of his lecture series are have been nothing short of fantastic and fun. His knowledge, expertise and his obvious love and enthusiasm for the subject matter adds so much to the listening experience. His lectures are a joy to listen to and his sense of humor and tongue in cheek comments bring an extra bonus that just makes me want to listen to his lectures over again. Too bad there were no Professor Greenberg's when I was an undergrad back in the day. I just might have become a music major! Highly recommend any course he offers.

Loved it but the written 'word score' would help

This is a great course but the written part that audible doesn't included is mentioned many times and would be very useful.

The course is a great mix of background information, information about Bach and great explorations of his work. The explorations are well illustrated with recording excerpts.

Excellent work!

It was one of the most compelling lecturs I have listened to by the great courses. I will definitely buy another one by professor Greenberg.

Excellent!! Robert Greenberg is so enjoyable!

I really like Bach's music, both listening and playing, but I didn't know anything about his life other than he had a lot of kids and a lot of talent. This book told such a fantastic story. The last 4 chapters on the Goldberg Variations were so good I had to listen to them twice and I'm sure I'll listen again. Also, who knew Bach had a sense of humor? I now enjoy listening to the Coffee Cantata while enjoying a cup of coffee and empathizing with parents of teenage girls. Excellent Read/Listen. Robert Greenberg has never disappointed. I'm on my way now to listen to his book on Opera.

Couldn’t wait to get to class!

What a wonderful course for any lover of classical music—or anyone who’d like to develop an appreciation! The course material itself is rich with historical and cultural context, including about Bach himself, not just as a musician, but also as a man—husband, father, scholar, teacher, choir master, etc. The professor is engaging, supremely knowledgeable with a great sense of humor and the ability to render new or challenging musical concepts readily accessible.

Throughout, we enjoy a significant sampling of the glorious music itself. Now when I turn—either to listen or, as an amateur pianist, to play—a Bach fugue or any other musical genre of which he is the unequaled master, I have such a deeper appreciation of his genius.

Educational and entertaining

I thank Professor Greenberg for greatly increasing my appreciation of this wonderful master of music.

Down the rabbit hole with Dr. G!

Any additional comments?

My first attempt to break into the world of really enjoying music came when my husband bought. The Concert Masterworks. Until then, I knew my favorite music was Bach’s and Mozart came second and Beethoven and Vivaldi and Teleman were in there somewhere. I was pretty much a Baroque girl. When I listened to the first two lectures, I realized I was missing a lot. So, I got the How to Listen and Understand Great Music. Loved it. Listened until I got to the Classical Period and went back and did Bach and the High Baroque. Then on with the Classical Period--which I have not finished yet because I did Great Masters: Mozart and am about to start The Concerto. And then, either The Chamber Music of Mozart or The Symphony. I am enjoying Dr. Greenberg’s expertise and attitude so much that I keep diving down new rabbit holes!

Substantial, detailed, delightful

What a great story about Bach, about his life and struggles and about his compositions. Professor Greenberg is a delight to listen to, and the accompanying PDF is a treasure to read. I am delighted to have purchased this course, and have listened to it in its entirety. I learned many pieces by Bach when I was a young student of music, but Professor Greenberg's course provided me a context - decades later - that made me appreciate Bach's music even more.

What a story!

Occasionally I cringe with Robert Greenberg's colloquialisms, but overall, he is a great teacher and paints an illuminating picture of the Great Bach.

Just how great is he? Spend 25 hours and you will understand,

Highlights of the recording for me were the sections on Martin Luther, the Coffee Cantata, St Matthews Passion, and my favourite, the Goldberg Variations. 25 hours is a fair journey in one book, but one well worth taking. I probably l would not have taken it without audible.

This is the 4th book in the Great Courses Series I have read, the others, on Dante, Jazz and the Great Piano Solo recordings have been equally fine.

I have now purchased a number of others, and I just wish there were many, many more.

On the strength alone of his essay on Martin Luther, I have added Metaxes biography of him to my library - there goes another 20 hours.

They are a fantastic resource. I cannot recommend them highly enough. You will gain a deep appreciation for your subject, which I believe you will have difficulty in achieving efficiently by other means.

In my view, they really do deserve the title "The Great Couses"

Fantastic Course!

Professor Greenberg does a wonderful job of taking us back in time to explore Bach, and his compositions. You get a good sense of the environment Bach lived in and what his life must have been like. There are also plenty of music examples along the way too. You even get to explore some of the structural formula used in Bach's music and Baroque composition in those days. Understanding some of the structural components behind Bach's composition such as fugue and counterpoint will leave you with a deeper understand and new appreciation for the Mastery hidden Bach's compositions.