The Operas of Mozart

By: Robert Greenberg, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Robert Greenberg

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

Kinda crushing on Robert Greenberg!

Where does The Operas of Mozart rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of my favorites.

Any additional comments?

Mozart is always interesting and Robert Greenberg's enthusiasm and sidebars make him even more so!

A delightful review of Mozart’s operas

Professor Greenberg takes us on a tour of Mozart’s major operas and makes the case for Mozart being one of the very greatest opera composers of all time. His works have endured since his death in 1791 and are continuously part of the repertoire. I was able to match these lectures with recorded performances by the Metropolitan Opera available on their on-demand subscription service for a wonderful respite.

Loved it

I loved every minute of it. This course is as enjoyable as it is educational.

Will listen again and probably again

I’ve never been a big fan of Mozart’s instrumental music,but have loved his operas for decades Now I understand why. This course is entertaining as well as informative and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of opera. Bravo!

I adore this series!

its an absolute must have for any opera or music buff. I learned so much!

Really great stuff

I love Professor Greenberg’s down to earth style and the life he breathes into Mozart’s works and life. I love his Brooklyn accent and humor. As a singer in my youth I take issue with his take on sopranos being nothing but competitive and sharp elbows, but I forgive him for that. Professor Greenberg has really really really studied Mozart’s music and shared that with us. Like sleeping on a book for the listener.

A superb course on Mozart's operas

A most enjoyable course on Mozart's most important operas. Well presented and preformed with great gusto. Bravo!

great

Enjoyed it. All of Greenberg 's lecture are worth listening to. I highly recommend them.

Good Stuff - for America's Middle Class

The professor is irreverent and reverent where he needs to be, with American humor and sentiment. The book is long, so you will need breaks away from it (perhaps listening to other books).

Only for those with no experience with Opera

Professor Greenberg's presentation is extremely annoying and off-putting. He is obviously well versed in the material, but he insists on dumbing it down and making everything a juvenile joke. It's alright for a short span, but severely grating a couple lectures in.

Also, while the course does cover aspects of Mozart's life, yielding interesting facts and anecdotes, its coverage of the operas is subpar, being little more than a reproduced libretto, often in a college level humor vernacular. I was hoping to learn more about the music and the methodology of Mozart in producing his operas and evoking response. There's little of a deeper measure. Granted I only made it through the first portion of the series on Cosi, so maybe it improves...but Greenberg's presentation style was insurmountable.