Robert Greenberg's Lectures?

[Hexameron]

http://www.teach12.com/store/courses.as ... ic&fMode=s

Robert Greenberg is a professor at the University of California at Berkeley and offers some audio/visual courses on many music subjects. Just click that link and take a glimpse at what his lectures cover. Has anyone ever listened to these? Although a bit pricy, these audio/visual courses look enticing. 80% of me has decided to buy some of these, but before I take a gamble, I wanted to check first here to see if any of you have any experience with these and can either recommend them or warn me against buying them.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Don't know a thing about this particular prof, but I have a longstanding preference for actual real classes in a physical classroom with a group of other living humans and a real live talking teacher. I'm sure that the local community/junior college offers some of this stuff.

My preference is mostly because I learn more from the class and the discussions than I do from the text and the teacher. The directions of the class discussion is sometimes as unpredictable as our bb.com threads, but I've learned some of the most amazing things - and they were just dropped into discussions that started somewhere else. Any sort of class gives you a bunch of people actually interested in the subject matter, liberally salted with people whose interests are in other fields but had to get the three credits in a fine art to fill in that annoying "general education" requirement. Makes for a stimulating couple of hours, once a week or so.

If you want to try the videos, too, check and see if the local library system owns a set. Public libraries will often buy such stuff if several patrons put in a reservation request, and then it goes into the back room somewhere awaiting the next request. It costs nothing to look, after all.

[shostakovich]

I agree with Selma's post. Yet, a set of audio-visuals give you the flexibility of irregular programming. By remarkable coincidence, a relative got a set of about 45 45-minute lectures by Greenberg. She decided to invite some people to share them on Thursday afternoons. There are 8 of us. We do 2 lessons a day. It's a pleasure to be with other music lovers --- in the SAME ROOM. Greenberg is quite entertaining, and quite windy. He fills in a lot on history surrounding the music. I suspect visuals will make the non-musical commentary much easier to take. Hope you enjoy.
Shos

[Hexameron]

Thank you both for the extensive information and for telling about your own experiences. I'm actually on the road to majoring in music history, so I thought these could be invaluable. Your accounts only confirm that I have much to gain from these; thanks again.

[Marshall]

As much as I agree that a live class with real people has distinct advantages, your chances of finding a teacher on the level of Robert Greenberg is about one in a million. I think he's the most entertaining, animated, informed and overall superb teacher alive, and I say that as a fellow college instructor with a critical attitude toward most of my peers.

I just finished his Life of Beethoven series, and am now beginning the lectures on the sonatas.

But whether you purchase Greenberg on Beethoven or any other subject, you'll be glad you spent the money. He never stops giving interesting insight, and he can make you laugh out loud while you're learning.
–Marshall Vandruff
http://www.marshallart.com

[Shapley]

Marshall,

Welcome to the B.com BB!

I recently purchased Prof. Greenberg's series on Music Basics and on Understanding Great Music. I have just begun the Basics course, and enjoy it greatly. I discussed this breifly over in the "Your Collection" thread.

V/R
Shapley