How to Listen to and Understand Opera

By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Robert Greenberg

To watch any opera lover listen to a favorite work, eyes clenched tight in concentration and passion, often betraying a tear, is to be almost envious. What must it be like, you might think, to love a piece of music so much?

And now one of music's most gifted teachers is offering you the opportunity to answer that very question, in a spellbinding series of 32 lectures that will introduce you to the transcendentally beautiful performing art that has enthralled audiences for more than 400 years.

As you meet the geniuses - including the likes of Monteverdi, Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini - who have produced some of the landmark artistic achievements of the form, and listen to many of their most beautiful moments, you'll grasp how the addition of music can reveal truths beyond what mere spoken words can convey, and how opera's unique marriage of words and music makes the whole far greater than the sum of its parts.

Beginning with opera's origins in the early 17th century and continuing into the 20th, you'll trace the art's evolution and its ability to convey every shade of human emotion, whether sorrow or joy, drama or buffoonery. You'll understand how different types of voices enhance character. And you'll understand how the invention of the aria gave operatic composers a new power to make human emotions soar, adding to the impact of what continues to be one of the most beautiful musical forms ever devised.

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

©1997 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1997 The Great Courses

Greenberg teaches, amuses.

A balanced approach, as much culture/history/philosophy on the one hand and music on the other.
- Jude Anthony

Great as usual

As I have come to expect from Robert Greenberg, this is great! Passionate and engaging narration, funny jokes, interesting theories.

Never thought I would be interested in Opera

Professor Greenberg has made me a convert. I started with his survey course and enjoyed it so much (How to listen to great music) I've been working my way through all his offerings. I've listened to several of them multiple times. His excitement and enjoyment of opera in the other sources convinced me to give this one and also the Mozart opera course a try. The course was very enjoyable as are all of his courses I've purchased. My only complaint is I wish this one had extended to more current operas as well. As soon as I could I went to see the Marriage of Figaro. I felt almost like an expert and enjoyed the performance so much more than when I first saw it years ago. Thanks you audible for offering these courses and at such an amazing price.

Extraordinary in every way possible!!

It is only two years now that I have begun to enjoy opera. Thanks to this course and this extraordinary passionate and knowledgeable professor, I now understand it more and therefore enjoy it much more! It taught me a lot about the history, and aroused me to go and research it is in further for the ones that I liked. Thank you a thousand times!!
Gave it also as a gift to my auntie, who is now enjoying it too :)

Incredibly informative captivating and rich

This is an amazing audio book and course . Very detailed and has so much information to enjoy . Audio is superb and the speaker is great. There are many operas shown in this series not just Italian . Expect French, German , Russian operas as well. And a highlight reel of operas greats and the origins of there many phases. Great sounding audio recordings of the operas I can not say how much I adored this book. Reading it made me realize how great operas are and how many of the operas I have heard of without knowing their names. Recommend for everyone .

Perfect for new opera fans

I went to my first opera performance earlier this year and became an instant fan. This course was very enjoyable to listen to and was very helpful for helping me understand the art form. Professor was very knowledgeable, interesting, and engaging. Highly recommended.

As Always, Robert Greenberg is Amazing!

I guess I consider myself a semi-opera buff. I am not a fanatic, but every so often, I love me a good opera. Now with that said, I put off getting this Great Course until I had heard every other one by Robert Greenberg, and for quite a long period of time. The reason is actually pretty dumb. I didn't want to hear him tell me how great Richard Wagner is. I know, I know, Wagner did amazing things and was an innovator and all that stuff, but I am definitely not in his camp. Well, Greenberg did cover Wagner quite thoroughly, and a big part of what he said was to emphasize what a despicable human being Wagner was. One point for my team. But I already knew that.

The opera of Wagner's that he chose to explore was, of course his magnum opus, Tristan and Isolde. Here is the story (I think I can safely tell it without spoiling it, but if you are not sure about that, stop reading now). Tristan was a sailor who terrorized the town where Isolde lived. He killed a lot of people there and so on. Well, she invites him down to her place for a drink. Oh, she was a kind of voodoo doctor and regularly mixed up potions to give to people. So Tristan totally knows this but decides that since he was so mean to her town, he owes it to her to go down, drink her potion and die. Makes total sense, right? Well, he doesn't die. He falls in love with her, and she with him. Most rational people fall in love with plunderers and murderers, right? But the fact is, it is a love potion that she mixes for him. Why she loves him I'll never know other that he was surely a hunk.

So one thing leads to another and they become deeper and deeper in love. Did I mention that this opera lasts FIVE HOURS??? Which is about how long they knew each other and not in the Biblical sense, which is part of the problem, but also the reason Wagner wrote such unrequited music. It never arrives anywhere for FIVE HOURS. Well, to make a reeeeeeally long story short, Tristan does end up dying, and shortly thereafter, so does Isolde. That's it more or less.

So Professor Greenberg played many excerpts from the opera, most of which were interminable screeching (hence the term Wagnerian soprano!) and meandering of the music that is so Wagnerian. But I have to admit, the song that Isolde sings when Tristan dies, the so called Liebestod, was actually beautiful and I really enjoyed it. One point for Team Wagner. Yes, this is me speaking, the hater of all things Wagner. No screeching, just tender, sweet, sorrowful love music that actually ends on a complete cadence, probably the only one in the whole five hours. But I will guarantee you I am not going to sit through five hours of Wagner to hear one great song. I'll get a recording.

Now all the other composers and operas Professor Greenberg talked about I could easily get my mind and heart around, especially my very beloved Verdi. And many others, including of course Mozart, Rossini, Puccini, etc. and some that I had never heard of before. If you have any inclination into what opera is all about, I highly, highly recommend this course. Just don't cave on me and start to love Wagner!

Avenge guard analysis

excellent presentations on a gorgeous tradition of fantastic proportions which Greenberg couches in modern sensibilities. if you're into opera, like the idea of opera, or see yourself as a dilettante fan this presentation is for you

The Gateway to Understanding A Great Art

Excellent professor, outstanding breadth, clear and concise examinations. Even if you don't listen to opera, you will after this.

Another winner from Prof Greenberg!

I had already listened to two other opera courses (and two other music courses) given by Robert Greenberg when I finally decided I ought to listen to this one. And honestly, I don't think I lost any enjoyment in the other two by doing it this way. This course is wonderful, and should be on the must-listen list for anyone who wants to learn more about opera.

Prof. Greenberg is terrific! He knows his stuff and he presents the material in a way that kept me listening and wanting to hear more.

I recommend this course, and also any other Greenberg course. I'm about to start yet another one with him and I can't wait!