Great Masters: Mahler—His Life and Music

by Robert Greenberg

High quality, university level teaching. 8 audio CDs with guidebook which outlines the course.

Course Lecture Titles (8 lectures, 45 minutes/lecture)

1. Introduction and Childhood
2. Mahler the Conductor
3. Early Songs and Symphony No. 1
4. The Wunderhorn Symphonies
5. Alma and Vienna
6. Family Life and Symphony No. 5
7. Symphony No. 6, and Das Lied von der Erde
8. Das Lied, Final Symphonies, and the End

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, History, Art

6 pages, Audiobook

Published January 1, 2001

About the author

Robert 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.

Reviews

[Jonathan O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Too many superlatives, my dear Greenberg, too many superlatives! This wasn't one of his best but still pretty informative, more with regard to Mahler's personal life than his music which is covered with almost criminal briskness. Greenberg himself comments as much several times but what is one to do with only 8 45-minute lectures? Probably doesn't help that I find Mahler's work to be a little long-winded either. In any case, there's some interesting discussion on Mahler's marriage to Alma, his friendship with/support of Arnold Schoenberg and the programmatic meanings of his great Symphonies.

I think I might be experiencing some burnout on the Greenberg lecture front actually. Even to the point that I'm so familiar with his common turns of phrase that I'm anticipating what (usually cringeworthy) comedic route he's planning before he even goes there. Two more to go in the 'Great Masters' series and then I'll give him a rest for a while I think.

Toodeloo.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazing! Cannot wait to listen to more books by this brilliant scholar presenting the lives and music of the greatest composers of classical music so vividly and enthusiastically.

[Illiterate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relates Mahler’s melodic variety & dramatic orchestration to his life as Jew & conductor. Notes a shift from narrative to expressionism in 5th Symphony.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so short and ends abruptly which left me wanting more. But the man does an amazing job with what he has. I would like to listen to an 8-hour lecture by him soley on das lied von de Erde

[Jun · Rating 4 out of 5]

听Mahler的传记，印象最深刻的是讲到他生活能力特别差。有一次他牙疼，但不知道是哪颗牙，让老婆帮他找到了。去看牙医的时候他又忘了，就打开门问在候诊室的老婆是哪颗牙。在外面等着的所有人都笑了😅

Mahler是个挺糟糕的老公。他的老婆Alma Schindler本来也有作曲的梦想，但是Mahler要求她在作曲和当老婆之间只能选一个。后来她放弃了作曲的梦想，也怀恨了他一辈子。相比之下Schumann夫妇的关系融洽一些，Clara还能自由地去各地演出。

我对Mahler看牙的故事最主要的想法是人与身体的关系。Mahler的音乐我很喜欢，他是一个很有感受力的人。这样的一个人居然与自己的身体如此的disconnect，是很神奇的事。

[michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting course. It was a little more condensed than other courses I have listened to by Professor Greenberg but I enjoyed it very much.

[Hermien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and entertaining.

[Gaili Schoen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story wonderfully told by Greenberg. He's the man when it comes to musical biographies! Funny, thorough and always interesting.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real treat to learn more about Mahler. It always shocked me to know how much of an utter perfectionist and bastard he was in real life, but how all that lead to a perfect storm of musical genius--whether as a brilliant conductor OR as a composer.

Growing up abused, an outcast in social life (rampant, vocal anti-semitism), and most likely a VERY neurodivergent individual, all these things flavor his life and while they don't excuse how he treated others later, it sure made it interesting.

His music, on the other hand, was bar none amazing. Personal, breathtaking, enormous, painful, and always on the cusp of major transitions, it's a perfect example of an artist straight-out ushering in the 20th century. Predating the first or second world wars but just a few years, he may as well have been their HERALD.

Songs of Earth and Power.

On a personal note, I only got into Mahler (at least as my first entry point) through his unfinished 10th symphony. And what a massive trip THAT was. Screaming angels, sweetly singing devils. Pain. Grief. Transcendence.

Mahler is one of the greats and my personal favorite composer of all time. His music is utterly emotional and transformative.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm starting to ask myself whether I actually like Mahler's symphonies—so many funeral marches, but through these lectures, we can understand why.

🎻

Lecture 8: Das Lied, Final Symphonies, and the End / 05:48:30
Tue, May 30 | 11:13:20 AM
Omg mahler was falling apart at thought of losing Alma that he literally met with Sigmund Freud

Lecture 8: Das Lied, Final Symphonies, and the End / 05:39:08
Tue, May 30 | 11:04:04 AM
Wealthy ladies committee pooled their resources together with aim of revamping the philharmonic society into new orchestra: called the New York philharmonic with Mahler leading it. But he shouldn’t have accepted it. It started a “civil war” of orchestras. Internal politics mess.

Lecture 7: Symphony No 6., and Das Lied von der Erde / 04:57:41
Tue, May 30 | 12:03:01 AM
The Chinese flute and the lines from the ancient Chinese poet

Lecture 6: Family Life and Symphony No / 03:52:44
Mon, May 29 | 2:30:57 PM
Mahler symphony no. 5 - the first one in which Alma had a personal stake, different from his previous 4.

Lecture 5: Alma and Vienna / 03:19:39
Mon, May 29 | 1:11:33 PM
Mahler the asshole husband, omgggg

[Bailee Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

tbh I unintentionally did not finish this. It was in the included audiobooks on Audible until 12/31, but I guess that means no longer available on that day because I tried to finish the last 35 minutes I had on the 31st and was not able to. I don't want to use a credit on it right now, so I'll officially finish it some other time. Still marking it as read for 2024. I also don't remember which day I started it, so I just guessed, but I listened to most of it on Christmas Eve when I was decorating Christmas cookies.

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Audiobook) A good overview of the life and music of Mahler. It doesn’t try to analyze all aspects of his works, but it gives you the key points and works. It also focuses on the great struggle of his life: contending with his Jewish background in a world not friendly to it…now did he care to embrace it all that much. There are musical selections in this, which is a must if talking about a musician/composer.

A good series of lectures about an important contributor to modern music.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, this master teacher delivers fresh insights into the composer and also a wealth of glorious musical selections, explicated. I'm so glad to have taken this course.

Although Gustav Mahler's music would hardly qualify as party entertainment, I had no appreciation for his personal struggles until I took this course.

Ever since high school I've loved "Des Knaben Wunderhorn."

Once again, Robert Greenberg has opened my heart of compassion.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and erudite exploration of Mahler's life and works. My only criticism would be that the content was too condensed which meant exploring Mahler's Eight Symphony in less than ten minutes, for example!

[Vojtech · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professor Greenberg has done it again! His course on Mahler is brilliant and will provide an excellent foundation for further exploration of his music. Greenberg is as insightful and passionate as ever; I would take him with me to a deserted island!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mahler time.

[Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Greenberg tells glorious and tragic story of Mahler.

[Victor N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can add Mahler to my list of people I would never want to have met

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good overview of Mahler's life and music. Eight chapters. I really enjoy Robert Greenberg's lectures.

[Tatjana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prof Greenberg, as usual.

[Howell Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know much about Mahler but now i do, and i am inspired to bo listen to a lot 0f his music. Greenberg is a good storyteller.

[Nina Braden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2001

[Nancie Lafferty · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Great Courses are so wonderfully chock full of information presented in such an engaging fashion. Learned so much about Mahler and his music in these lectures.

[Sebastiano Gualtieri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good lecture as always by Greenberg. As for Mahler, I can’t stand his music. Obese, clumsy and in bad taste. Some brilliant ideas here and there immediately killed by awkward transitions and cheesy melodic structures, often driven by headache-inducing brass sections that resemble third grade sci-fi movie soundtracks. Take for example the Adagietto of the 5th. An undiscussed masterpiece. But that's one movement of a symphony that as a whole is an unmanageable sonic diarrea. The preceding movement (a scherzo I think) and the following one (the closing one) are unlistenable. Obviously Mahler was a genius, but his geniality was crushed and ultimately made useless by an absolute lack of simplicity.

[Charles Dingman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like another chapter in his vast book of music history, this vintage Greenberg presentation delights us with its highlights in the life of Mahler that were formative to his music, and music samples that tantalize. I had not heard nearly so much biographical detail about Mahler as I had of Mozart or Beethoven. Now I want to hear his symphonies and songs again. That's what this great teacher effects in us, his listeners.