The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works by Robert Greenberg

The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works by Robert Greenberg takes you into the life of each composer. He breaks down the section of the orchestral work into the components.  Many of the orchestral works are concertos, a solo instrument accompanied by and orchestra.

Beethoven worked to get the most out of his piano, which was a relatively new instrument at the time. His strong playing resulted in the physical destruction of the instrument. Piano wires breaking, pads wedged among the wires. His page turner worked hard, repairing the piano on the fly, racing back to turn the page and then back to the instrument.

After Beethoven died Professor Greenberg asks the question: "What do you do with the 400 pound silver back Gorilla sitting in your living room?"  This was his way of asking - How would later composers react to Beethoven's style of music, would they ignore it, imitate it, or integrate it?

The information on each symphony covers the technical details and the history behind it. The experience is edifying and enjoyable. I'll be taking more of his courses.

30 Greatest Orchestral Works - 2 minutes

Robert Greenberg Stravinski - 6 min. 

Robert Greenberg - The Planets - 8 min.