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The 23 Greatest Solo Piano Works
In The 23 Greatest Solo Piano Works, Great Courses favorite Professor Robert Greenberg of San Francisco Performances returns with an in-depth exploration of the solo piano works he considers to be among the most exceptional landmarks in the literature. The 23 works you’ll study represent the selections of an internationally respected composer and music historian, carefully chosen to highlight the most significant compositional and pianistic achievements in the solo piano repertoire.
These 24 engrossing lectures guide you through more than 200 years of music. Beginning with the towering figure of Bach, followed by Mozart and Beethoven, you encounter the piano music of such great 19th-century masters as Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt, before moving forward to visionary modernists including Scriabin, Debussy, and Prokofiev. In Professor Greenberg’s trademark style, each lecture focuses on a single work in a fresh, accessible encounter with the musical substance of the piece, welcoming listeners new to concert music as well as experienced concert music lovers.
In addition to your study of the music, the lectures expose you to a rich panorama of music history. You dig deeply into the artistic and social environments that the compositions reflect, shedding light on what inspired these great works and how they were created. As a third key layer of the course, you delve into the extraordinary history of the piano itself, discovering the ways in which the evolution of the instrument directly affected the music that composers wrote for it.
These 24 engrossing lectures guide you through more than 200 years of music. Beginning with the towering figure of Bach, followed by Mozart and Beethoven, you encounter the piano music of such great 19th-century masters as Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt, before moving forward to visionary modernists including Scriabin, Debussy, and Prokofiev. In Professor Greenberg’s trademark style, each lecture focuses on a single work in a fresh, accessible encounter with the musical substance of the piece, welcoming listeners new to concert music as well as experienced concert music lovers.
In addition to your study of the music, the lectures expose you to a rich panorama of music history. You dig deeply into the artistic and social environments that the compositions reflect, shedding light on what inspired these great works and how they were created. As a third key layer of the course, you delve into the extraordinary history of the piano itself, discovering the ways in which the evolution of the instrument directly affected the music that composers wrote for it.
20 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 1, 2013
21 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Robert Greenberg
156 books217 followersRobert M. Greenberg is an American composer, pianist and musicologist. He has composed more than 50 works for a variety of instruments and voices, and has recorded a number of lecture series on music history and music appreciation for The Teaching Company.
Greenberg earned a B.A. in music, magna cum laude, from Princeton University and received a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of California, Berkeley. He has served on the faculties of UC Berkeley, Californiz State University, East Bay, and the San Franciso Conservatory of Music, where he was chairman of the Department of Music History and Literature as well as Director of the Adult Extension Division. Dr. Greenberg is currently Music Historian-in-residence with San Francisco Performances.
Greenberg earned a B.A. in music, magna cum laude, from Princeton University and received a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of California, Berkeley. He has served on the faculties of UC Berkeley, Californiz State University, East Bay, and the San Franciso Conservatory of Music, where he was chairman of the Department of Music History and Literature as well as Director of the Adult Extension Division. Dr. Greenberg is currently Music Historian-in-residence with San Francisco Performances.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 23, 2022
This is a labor of love by Robert Greenberg. How do I know? After taking many of his music courses, I can tell when he is fully committed (heart and soul) to a project. It isn’t that he is stifling his humor or his penchant for pop culture references. First, he is determined to give us the context of the instrument itself and how its evolution provided opportunities for composition. Second, he acknowledges how difficult it was to forego some compositions in this course. Third, he hires concert pianists to play the critical passages so that we, the audience, gain a better understanding of the nuances of the piece.
I could list the composers and the pieces as I have done in some previous course reviews, but I don’t believe that is necessary. The individual pieces are accompanied by discussion of the composers, some historical context and a deep dive into their construction. There is enough time available (plus any additional time you with to spend hearing the pieces in their entirety) for a thorough understand of why each should be considered great. As has been my wont, I put some significant time between each lecture, but that may not be your choice. If you are less interested in the evolution of the piano, there would be no reason to take these lectures in the order offered. Skipping to your favorite composer(s) should be without need for permission. If you are a musician or a musicologist you will get a lot more than I did from these lectures, but I was very satisfied with what I was able to glean and will likely go over them again.
I know that there was more here than I with my limited musicology could grasp. I give it very high marks for what Greenberg does and attempts to do. His explanations are clearly with an attempt to avoid jargon. His interest in the development of the piano is fascinating as are his comments on how the physiognomy of each pianist (and what were the size and capabilities of the pianos that they chose to play) influenced their music. Probably the most important lectures along these lines were the two about Chopin who could not compose unless he sat at his piano. I wouldn’t recommend this as the first exposure to Greenberg’s lectures on classical music but it is one of his finest.
I could list the composers and the pieces as I have done in some previous course reviews, but I don’t believe that is necessary. The individual pieces are accompanied by discussion of the composers, some historical context and a deep dive into their construction. There is enough time available (plus any additional time you with to spend hearing the pieces in their entirety) for a thorough understand of why each should be considered great. As has been my wont, I put some significant time between each lecture, but that may not be your choice. If you are less interested in the evolution of the piano, there would be no reason to take these lectures in the order offered. Skipping to your favorite composer(s) should be without need for permission. If you are a musician or a musicologist you will get a lot more than I did from these lectures, but I was very satisfied with what I was able to glean and will likely go over them again.
I know that there was more here than I with my limited musicology could grasp. I give it very high marks for what Greenberg does and attempts to do. His explanations are clearly with an attempt to avoid jargon. His interest in the development of the piano is fascinating as are his comments on how the physiognomy of each pianist (and what were the size and capabilities of the pianos that they chose to play) influenced their music. Probably the most important lectures along these lines were the two about Chopin who could not compose unless he sat at his piano. I wouldn’t recommend this as the first exposure to Greenberg’s lectures on classical music but it is one of his finest.
January 4, 2015
Dr. Greenberg is a very good instructor. This was a very enjoyable course and it has caused me to want to play the piano better. Not that I can play any of these pieces, but I have been more diligent in working on pieces I can learn. The selection of the 23 greatest piano works does seem rather subjective, but I am sure it was necessary to select ones that allowed for a great variety from different composers. All in all, though, it was great to listen to these great works and to learn something about them in the process.
March 11, 2025
These lectures have changed the way I listen to classical music from now on!
December 22, 2021
All these Great Courses with Robert Greenberg, covering classical music, are deeply meaningful and educational. Highly recommended.
August 23, 2020
Excellent book for piano lovers. The performance is energetic and the mix of history, theory and music keeps you hooked. Keep in mind sometimes it can go too deep into theory which is difficult for amateur beginner players like me.
October 2, 2015
I thought this was a very interesting trip through both the history of piano music, the composers, and the instrument itself. I thoroughly enjoyed the biographical information, even when it digressed a bit, as it brought more color and more context to the compositions. What was very new to me was the discussion of the technical aspects of the piano itself. The discussion of how the move from a wooden "harp," the part to which the strings are attached, to the cast iron harp allowed for the music to change from the more quietly powerful Chopin to the fiery challenge of Liszt and Rachmaninoff. I discovered several pieces I downloaded and several others at which I decided to try my own hand.
March 26, 2014
Thrilling, funny, insightful, even tragic due to the circumstances of some of the great classical composers covered. At times, I did wonder, "Ok, but what makes this pieces GREAT?" But the sheer volume of information and passion with which its all communicated overrides that minor quibble. I still question his inclusion of Copland's "Piano Variations," but I thoroughly enjoyed hearing why Greenberg thought it should make the list. The Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev lectures were my favorites, fyi.
May 17, 2020
This thoroughly engaging and detailed series of lectures blends biography, history, culture and music to celebrate the great piano compositions from Bach to Copland. It educates and it inspires. I even discovered a new favourite piano work: Franz Schubert’s Piano Sonata no.21 in B Flat Major.
Greenberg delivers his lectures with warmth and shares his knowledge with passion and humour. Highly recommended.
Greenberg delivers his lectures with warmth and shares his knowledge with passion and humour. Highly recommended.
February 16, 2021
There is something really satisfying about having a knowledgeable guide to peel back the layers of music, poetry and art. Robert Greenberg is a fantastic guide to music - he is irreverent and funny when talking about people and circumstances, but always treats the music with great respect, presenting a comprehensive overview of the composer's intent.
I was delighted to see Greenberg has several other entries in the Great Courses catalogue. I'm looking forward to listening to some of his other courses, like the Opera one.
Despite being classically trained in piano and reaching quite a high amateur level, there is so much context behind some of the great pieces and their composers that I never fully appreciated.
I didn't know, for example, what "well-tempered" signified in Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. I thought it was a sort of wry allusion to playing well. In fact it refers to a type of tuning where the space between each note is not uniform as we are accustomed to today. This well-tempered tuning gave each key a different character, and so Bach's 24 Preludes and Fugues (each in a different key) were an exploration of the character of each key.
I was also reminded that Mozart died at the young age of 35. Imagine having such a significant and lasting impression on the world of music at such a young age! And imagine what music he could have composed if he lived another 30 or 40 years!
Beethoven's music is among my favourite in the classical genre - it is sobering to be reminded of the emotional difficulties of Beethoven's life, from the constant rejection he experienced romantically to the deafness that developed, threatening his very livelihood. This angst found an immortal outlet in his music, and along with the revolutionary spirit of his time, gives his music an edginess while still being enjoyable to listen to.
The works of Chopin and Liszt are perhaps my favourite pieces to play because there is a lot of technical virtuosity combined with expressivity. I never really considered that they are almost exact contemporaries and that both were highly egotistical. In particular I had not known that Liszt was such a flamboyant showman, or how far he pushed the pinnacle of piano technique. I have played La Campanella by Liszt, which is based on a theme by Paganini, the violin virtuoso. The lectures on Liszt provided a helpful explanation of the influence of Paganini on Liszt's career, something I had not appreciated before.
Brahms was a bit of a revelation for me. I had heard some of his music before but never played it or understood it. The episode on his Intermezzos encouraged me to start learning one of them - it is really beautiful, combining complex harmonies with compositional density.
I was also fascinated to learn how his life intertwined with Robert Schumann, and how after the latter went insane, he became a pillar of support to Clara Schumann, falling in love with her, but ultimately never marrying her.
Debussy is the other composer with whom I feel most familiar. I have played several of his preludes including The Girl with the Flaxen Hair, The Sunken Cathedral, Minstrels and Voiles, but I never knew anything about the politics behind his compositions in the wake of the Franco-Prussian war, i.e. how he was in the vanguard of patriotic French composers who deliberately rejected any influence of the German-Austrian musical styles that had become so dominant.
The remainder of the composers featured, from Mussorgsky up to Copeland, held comparatively little appeal for me. As with modern art, it is gratifying to be able to penetrate the opaque incomprehension of the untrained senses with the help of an instructor who can explain the techniques, skill and significance behind the various layers of the composition, and the global political context in which they were written. But with the modern tendency toward dissonance and atonality, such modern music has ceased being pleasant to listen to, and has rather confined itself to the academic realm.
A central part of this series of lectures is the history of the development of the piano as an instrument. This was fascinating to me.
Starting out as a harpsichord, which is just a harp on its side with the strings plucked by pressing keys, the pianoforte was first conceived by Bartolomeo Cristofori in the early 1700s with the introduction of a new type of hammer action. These small wood-framed pianos were the pianos that Mozart and Beethoven composed with.
By the time of Chopin and Liszt there were two main piano manufacturers - Pleyel (preferred by Chopin) and Érard pianos (preferred by Liszt, and also played by Beethoven). The new innovation of having an iron-frame for the piano instead of a wooden one gave Liszt a much greater scope for expansive playing that Beethoven would have loved.
The Steinway piano dates from the late 19th century in New York and has become the de facto concert standard today. The complexities of piano construction are only briefly touched upon - there is a lot more to learn about for the avid piano lover.
If I were to pick a negative point, it would be that the sound quality of the performances are not what you would expect for a production that is explicitly made for audio. It sounds like the recordings included were played from a CD player and recorded through a microphone for the audiobook.
Sound quality aside, this was a marvellous collection of lectures and has whetted my appetite for more of the same.
I was delighted to see Greenberg has several other entries in the Great Courses catalogue. I'm looking forward to listening to some of his other courses, like the Opera one.
Despite being classically trained in piano and reaching quite a high amateur level, there is so much context behind some of the great pieces and their composers that I never fully appreciated.
I didn't know, for example, what "well-tempered" signified in Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. I thought it was a sort of wry allusion to playing well. In fact it refers to a type of tuning where the space between each note is not uniform as we are accustomed to today. This well-tempered tuning gave each key a different character, and so Bach's 24 Preludes and Fugues (each in a different key) were an exploration of the character of each key.
I was also reminded that Mozart died at the young age of 35. Imagine having such a significant and lasting impression on the world of music at such a young age! And imagine what music he could have composed if he lived another 30 or 40 years!
Beethoven's music is among my favourite in the classical genre - it is sobering to be reminded of the emotional difficulties of Beethoven's life, from the constant rejection he experienced romantically to the deafness that developed, threatening his very livelihood. This angst found an immortal outlet in his music, and along with the revolutionary spirit of his time, gives his music an edginess while still being enjoyable to listen to.
The works of Chopin and Liszt are perhaps my favourite pieces to play because there is a lot of technical virtuosity combined with expressivity. I never really considered that they are almost exact contemporaries and that both were highly egotistical. In particular I had not known that Liszt was such a flamboyant showman, or how far he pushed the pinnacle of piano technique. I have played La Campanella by Liszt, which is based on a theme by Paganini, the violin virtuoso. The lectures on Liszt provided a helpful explanation of the influence of Paganini on Liszt's career, something I had not appreciated before.
Brahms was a bit of a revelation for me. I had heard some of his music before but never played it or understood it. The episode on his Intermezzos encouraged me to start learning one of them - it is really beautiful, combining complex harmonies with compositional density.
I was also fascinated to learn how his life intertwined with Robert Schumann, and how after the latter went insane, he became a pillar of support to Clara Schumann, falling in love with her, but ultimately never marrying her.
Debussy is the other composer with whom I feel most familiar. I have played several of his preludes including The Girl with the Flaxen Hair, The Sunken Cathedral, Minstrels and Voiles, but I never knew anything about the politics behind his compositions in the wake of the Franco-Prussian war, i.e. how he was in the vanguard of patriotic French composers who deliberately rejected any influence of the German-Austrian musical styles that had become so dominant.
The remainder of the composers featured, from Mussorgsky up to Copeland, held comparatively little appeal for me. As with modern art, it is gratifying to be able to penetrate the opaque incomprehension of the untrained senses with the help of an instructor who can explain the techniques, skill and significance behind the various layers of the composition, and the global political context in which they were written. But with the modern tendency toward dissonance and atonality, such modern music has ceased being pleasant to listen to, and has rather confined itself to the academic realm.
A central part of this series of lectures is the history of the development of the piano as an instrument. This was fascinating to me.
Starting out as a harpsichord, which is just a harp on its side with the strings plucked by pressing keys, the pianoforte was first conceived by Bartolomeo Cristofori in the early 1700s with the introduction of a new type of hammer action. These small wood-framed pianos were the pianos that Mozart and Beethoven composed with.
By the time of Chopin and Liszt there were two main piano manufacturers - Pleyel (preferred by Chopin) and Érard pianos (preferred by Liszt, and also played by Beethoven). The new innovation of having an iron-frame for the piano instead of a wooden one gave Liszt a much greater scope for expansive playing that Beethoven would have loved.
The Steinway piano dates from the late 19th century in New York and has become the de facto concert standard today. The complexities of piano construction are only briefly touched upon - there is a lot more to learn about for the avid piano lover.
If I were to pick a negative point, it would be that the sound quality of the performances are not what you would expect for a production that is explicitly made for audio. It sounds like the recordings included were played from a CD player and recorded through a microphone for the audiobook.
Sound quality aside, this was a marvellous collection of lectures and has whetted my appetite for more of the same.
June 22, 2020
Just like the other 23 courses by Prof. Greenberg, this one is just as educational while entertaining. My most favorite lecture: "The A List", with all my favorite piano works and Prof. Greenberg's most hilarious comments!
July 21, 2025
As knowledgeable as Professor Greenberg is, I don't think I will listen to another one of his lecture series. I have tried several of his, since nearly all of the Great Courses music series are by him, and I never quite enjoy it as I have many other series in different subjects. I can appreciate that he likes to include humor in his approach, but I just don't find the jokes funny, and I think there is always a balance to be found with humor. That balance is not struck here. There's something about his energy that I do not agree well with, and I don't care for how he talks about women either. On the positive side, he provides an entertaining survey of keyboard works through history, and anecdote. He traces how musical development drove the innovation behind the grand piano that we know today. I appreciate that Greenberg doesn't focus too heavily on extremely well-known pieces, instead he opts to expose the listener to a more diverse palette. I found his balance of history and narrative, and the music itself, to be very effective. All in all, this was my last attempt to give his lectures a try! I can see why many would like his lectures, but they are not for me.
Edit: An alternative to this series that I thoroughly enjoyed (also offered by the Great Courses), is Great Piano Works Explained by Catherine Kautsky. Although, if my memory serves me correctly, I will note that I believe the series offered by Kautsky is less historically-oriented, and focuses more on the music.
Edit: An alternative to this series that I thoroughly enjoyed (also offered by the Great Courses), is Great Piano Works Explained by Catherine Kautsky. Although, if my memory serves me correctly, I will note that I believe the series offered by Kautsky is less historically-oriented, and focuses more on the music.
lectures
February 12, 20242. J. S. Bach—The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book One
3. J. S. Bach—Goldberg Variations
4. Mozart—Piano Sonata in C Minor, K. 457
5. Beethoven—The Appassionata Sonata
6. Beethoven—Diabelli Variations, Op. 120
7. Schubert—Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat Major
8. Chopin—Préludes, Op. 28
9. Chopin—Ballade in G Minor, Op. 23
10. Schumann—Kreisleriana
11. Liszt—Years of Pilgrimage
12. Liszt—Sonata in B Minor
13. Brahms—Handel Variations, Op. 24
14. Brahms—Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118
15. Mussorgsky—Pictures at an Exhibition
16. Debussy—“The Sunken Cathedral”
17. Debussy—Préludes, Book One
18. Albéniz—Iberia
19. Ravel—Valses nobles et sentimentales
20. Scriabin—Piano Sonata No. 5
21. Rachmaninoff—Études-tableaux
22. Prokofiev—Piano Sonata No. 7
23. Copland—Piano Variations
24. The A-List
3. J. S. Bach—Goldberg Variations
4. Mozart—Piano Sonata in C Minor, K. 457
5. Beethoven—The Appassionata Sonata
6. Beethoven—Diabelli Variations, Op. 120
7. Schubert—Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat Major
8. Chopin—Préludes, Op. 28
9. Chopin—Ballade in G Minor, Op. 23
10. Schumann—Kreisleriana
11. Liszt—Years of Pilgrimage
12. Liszt—Sonata in B Minor
13. Brahms—Handel Variations, Op. 24
14. Brahms—Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118
15. Mussorgsky—Pictures at an Exhibition
16. Debussy—“The Sunken Cathedral”
17. Debussy—Préludes, Book One
18. Albéniz—Iberia
19. Ravel—Valses nobles et sentimentales
20. Scriabin—Piano Sonata No. 5
21. Rachmaninoff—Études-tableaux
22. Prokofiev—Piano Sonata No. 7
23. Copland—Piano Variations
24. The A-List
April 6, 2020
(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).
The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.
The great news is that I can listen to a book a day at work. The bad news is that I can’t keep up with decent reviews. So I’m going to give up for now and just rate them. I hope to come back to some of the most significant things I listen to and read them and then post a review.
March 10, 2023
Well presented. Robert Greenberg is surprisingly theatrical making the audiobook both interesting and sometimes over the top. It was unfortunate but being able to listen to this book sped up due to the inclusion of musical pieces, but it wasn't too terrible at normal speed. The book highlights more than just 23 piano works, often including other pieces of music from the composer being discussed in the chapter.
My main complaint is that at times the material felt above my understanding due to my lack of musical knowledge.
My main complaint is that at times the material felt above my understanding due to my lack of musical knowledge.
July 18, 2023
I believe this is my third audiobook from this author and he never disappoints. Very knowledgeable of the content and funny where appropriate. Some of the piano works I wasn't too interested in but the author still makes them interesting by at least giving us a little biographical background of the composer. I also loved how he was able to dissect the selections and help us know what was going on in the composers life and what he was trying to accomplish with the composition. This is a great book to introduce one to some of the great classical masters of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
January 16, 2020
This is a lecture series and it's long...took me three weeks to complete. The lecturer is excellent, and even though I was a bit lost on the technical discussions, I certainly learned quite a bit. The later lectures with atonal pieces were excruciating for me to listen to, and I was happy to get back to his A (as in Amateur list), ending with the beautiful Claire De Lune. If you want to know the history of the technical development of the piano, this series is a must.
December 8, 2022
4.5 stars. Got this through Kanopy. Greenberg can get a bit irritating, as do all lecturers, but he's also very entertaining, opinionated, and articulate. He peppers the lectures with quotations from primary sources . . . he's done his work but he wears his scholarship lightly. The music is wonderful and there is lots of it. The history of the piano as an instrument was interesting as well.
April 21, 2018
This was an audiobook from Great Courses. As a classically trained pianist, I found the backstory for each piece and the artists fascinating. The instructor did a great job with his presentation. If he taught several of my college courses I'm sure I would have done better in them :)
June 29, 2019
As always, Professor Greenberg is as knowledgeable as he is entertaining and as entertaining as any lecturer I've ever experienced in a life full of sitting through lectures. The subject matter is amazing, and gave me many ideas about piano pieces I would love to try and tackle for myself.
March 1, 2021
An excellent series on lectures on piano masterpieces. While biographies of the composers weren't the intent of this lecture series I enjoyed the often anecdotal backgrounds provided by Greenberg.
March 7, 2021
This was really interesting. I thought I'd just get info on great piano pieces, but each one has a mini-biography and a lot of history and music theory. I've dug up a few new pieces to learn now.
December 3, 2021
A nice list of pieces! Dr. Bob does a good job of telling the history like a story. That’s his strength!
December 7, 2021
Well done. Would listen to it again.
April 22, 2022
Took me awhile to get through 20 hours, but I enjoyed it.
August 24, 2025
Fascinating!
May 17, 2016
Funny, I like this and learned much but my expectation was higher. I guess if I had a better (any!) musical education (instruction not exposure) I would have gotten more out of it. For example, having a sonata form is explained by the prof is great as I did not know what it was, but now I do! but if I know what it is, I probably would understand the nuances of his explanations and that would make a difference in appreciating this work. That being said, I was never bored and enjoyed this quite a bit, even Professor Greenberg's hammy jokes and puns.
August 12, 2022
Solid lecture with the right amount of technical analysis and historical overview for each chosen piece. A list of “greatest” whatever art is always debatable but author’s selection is well reasoned and overall balanced.
March 16, 2016
A stimulating look at some music that always baffled me. Now I feel better prepared to try to play them and enjoy them.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews