TTC - The Symphony torrent

Category: Lecture
Language: English
Keywords: Music Robert Greenberg ttc
Written by Robert Greenberg,
Format: MP3

The great Bohemian-born composer Gustav Mahler once said, ”A symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything.” Over the course of its nearly 300-year life, the symphony has indeed embraced almost every trend to be found in Western concert music.

Humble Beginnings, Unmatched Achievement

The symphony evolved from the 17th-century Italian opera overture and the Baroque ripieno concerto.

By the mid to late 18th century, the symphony became the single most important genre of orchestral music.

In 300 yearsΓΓé¼ΓÇ¥with backdrops ranging from the French Revolution to the Soviet Empire, the Enlightenment to the Roaring TwentiesΓΓé¼ΓÇ¥the symphony would arrive at where it stands today: one of the longest lived, and perhaps the most expressively inclusive, genres of instrumental music.

In this series of 24 45-minute lectures, Professor Robert Greenberg guides the listener on a survey of the symphony. You’ll listen to selections from the greatest symphonies by many of the greatest composers of the past 300 years. You’ll also hear selections from some overlooked works that, undeservedly, have been forgotten by contemporary audiences.

24 Lectures
45 minutes / lecture