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Title: Great Masters: Mozart - His Life and Music

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Robert Greenberg

Format: Original Recording

Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 451 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Music

Publisher's Summary:

Even from the perspective of time, it is nearly impossible to grasp the full contribution made to music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in his brief and glorious life. He composed his first symphony at the age of 8 and reached full artistic maturity by the time he was only 20. And when he died at the age of 35, he left a legacy of more than 600 works of brilliance - symphonies, chamber music, operas, and more - most composed during an incredibly productive 20-year period.

But even though it can well take a lifetime to fully grasp the achievement of the man described by Rossini as "the only composer who had as much knowledge as genius and as much genius as knowledge", every step of that journey toward understanding will be a joy - one you can begin with this fascinating eight-lecture series, which can serve as both a stand-alone introduction to this extraordinary composer or as the gateway to a lifetime of appreciation and pleasure.

Beginning with an examination of the many myths that surround Mozart to this day, Professor Greenberg offers not only an understanding of his music, but also a realistic view of Mozart the boy and man, from his emergence as youthful prodigy to his posthumous deification.You'll learn about his difficult and ultimately doomed relationship with his father, his troubled marriage, his relationships with luminaries like Haydn, Emperor Joseph II, and his operatic librettist, Lorenzo da Ponte, and the triumphs and disappointments that marked his career - including the astonishing and inexplicable creative recovery that enabled him to create his great Masonic opera, The Magic Flute, only months before his death.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

More Great Listening!

After having listened to Dr. Greenberg's course on the Thirty Greatest Orchestra Works, I had to have more, and decided to give this one a try. Although I have always had a great appreciation for the music of Mozart and truly love many of the things he has written, I cant say that he has been one of my all time favorite composers. With the insights I gained from this Great Courses class taught by Dr. Robert Greenberg, I must say the great genius has moved up in my estimation. My understanding of his music is markedly better, and I can now say he truly is one of my favorite composers. The world lost him way too soon at the age of nearly 36, but thank goodness for the things he was able to give us.

Fantastic summary of this amazing composer.

What did you love best about Great Masters: Mozart - His Life and Music?

Unedited, unsugar coated, and as it was summary of his life. Very eye opening and it makes me appreciate his music so much more.

One of the Professors You Wish You'd Had

Professor Greenberg's lecture delivery is as informative as it is entertaining. He covers the basics of Mozart's life, addressing many common misconceptions. The lecture isn't technical in terms of music by any means, but does give clear examples of the material described. I imagine the video lectures of this series would have been better, but as I listen to most audiobooks in the car or while at work, this is the next best thing.

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Title: Beethoven's Piano Sonatas

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Robert Greenberg

Format: Original Recording

Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 134 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Music

Publisher's Summary:

A revolutionary man living in a revolutionary time, Beethoven used the piano as his personal musical laboratory. The piano sonata became, more than any other genre of music, a place where he could experiment with harmony, motivic development, the contextual use of form, and, most important, his developing view of music as a self-expressive art. Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas include some of his most popular works as well as some of his most experimental. More than any other of his amazing works, Beethoven's piano sonatas are his personal testament, expressed in his own voice.

These 24 marvelous lectures touch on every one of these fascinating pieces, approaching them chronologically, from the terse and powerful first sonata of 1795 to the revolutionary Hammerklavier Sonata of 1818 and the radical last three sonatas of 1820-1822.

The sonatas are not simply compositions for the piano but are about the developing technology of the piano itself, an evolving instrument that Beethoven pushed to its limits and then beyond, ultimately writing music for an idealized piano that didn't come into existence until 40 years after his death.

Because Beethoven died 50 years before the invention of sound recording, we will never hear his voice or the sound of his playing. Instead, Professor Greenberg plays you hundreds of excerpts of Maestro Claude Frank's recordings over the span of the course. Truly, Beethoven's piano music is his voice, emerging from his mind through his fingers to our ears and hearts.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Amazing per ALWAYS

I cannot recommend Robert Greenberg enough. If you have even the slightest interest in music - even if it's just a general sense of appreciation and not for the topic of his/said lecture series you're considering, you'll enjoy this scholar's personality, specialized perspectives, ability to tie his broader knowledge base to the topic, contemporary references both for us and for the subjects' time periods, energy, personal insight as an academic and a composer (overlap is significant within his course subjects with university and state posts full of political intrigue and power politics as well as an artist's perspective [as we know it or evidence suggests] paired with his own experiences and so forth) and his sheer enthusiasm for the topics he teaches. If you don't like this guy's courses ya' might be a stick in the mud (or seriously just NOT into the topics or history ... I suppose it can happen! Ha.). Check him out.

Entertaining and educational.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Some of this was over my non-musical head, but the delivery was very entertaining and I am inspired to learn more.

Have you listened to any of Professor Robert Greenbergs other performances before? How does this one compare?

Greenberg is very good.

Any additional comments?

This course would have been better with the written materials.

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Title: The Symphonies of Beethoven

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Robert Greenberg

Format: Original Recording

Length: 24 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 227 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Music

Publisher's Summary:

Ludwig van Beethoven is justifiably acclaimed as one of the most revered composers in the history of Western music-a genius once characterized as a "Titan, wrestling with the gods." There is no better way for you to understand the full impact of that description than to not only listen to all nine of his magnificent symphonies, but to do so with a full understanding of what this great composer was saying and the circumstances that drove him up to and beyond what had once been considered the limits of musical expression.

The 32 lectures that make up this detailed introduction to Beethoven explores each of his symphonies in depth, explaining the gifts of musical communication that made this composer unique. Even without any previous musical training, you'll be able to grasp the absolute directness that made his work so accessible, the sheer emotional power that could never be ignored, and the ways in which his ideas were revolutionary on every level. Beginning with an introduction to Beethoven the man and the musical and societal forces that shaped his development, you'll explore his breathtaking innovations: harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, formal, dramatic, self-expressive, and emotional. And you'll come to understand how and why this man was able to lead music into a totally new era as he dispensed with the restraint of 18th-century Classicism to usher in the era of romantic self-expression - even as his own ability to even hear what he was creating was progressively and tragically vanishing.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Truly the course materials MUST be made available.

Would you listen to The Symphonies of Beethoven again? Why?

Yes, because being new to music theory I didn't absorb it all the first time, but would very much like to.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Symphonies of Beethoven?

Beethoven's letter to everyone for when he died was particularly poignant, abs the explanation for the last movement of the Second Symphony was priceless.

What about Professor Robert Greenbergs performance did you like?

He's very animated and clearly knows his material.

Any additional comments?

Smart people work at The Teaching Company and Audible. Please figure out how to make the course materials available. They are critical despite your protestations to the contrary.

A Great Course with a Great Caveat

Would you try another book from The Great Courses and/or Professor Robert Greenberg?

Yes

What did you like best about this story?

Prof. Greenberg's style is passionate and humorous which makes the course quite enjoyable. His explanations are good.

Which character as performed by Professor Robert Greenberg was your favorite?

N/A

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Symphonies of Beethoven?

N/A

Any additional comments?

A great caveat is that Audible does not offer the word scores Prof. Greenberg uses heavily in this course and which are described in the very beginning as of great importance to understand the course.

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Title: How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Robert Greenberg

Format: Original Recording

Length: 36 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1768 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Music

Publisher's Summary:

Great music is a language unto its own, a means of communication of unmatched beauty and genius. And it has an undeniable power to move us in ways that enrich our lives - provided it is understood.

If you have ever longed to appreciate great concert music, to learn its glorious language and share in its sublime pleasures, the way is now open to you, through this series of 48 wonderful lectures designed to make music accessible to everyone who yearns to know it, regardless of prior training or knowledge. It's a lecture series that will enable you to first grasp music's forms, techniques, and terms - the grammatical elements that make you fluent in its language - and then use that newfound fluency to finally hear and understand what the greatest composers in history are actually saying to us.

And as you learn the gifts given us by nearly every major composer, you'll come to know there is one we share with each of them - a common humanity that lets us finally understand that these were simply people speaking to us, sharing their passion and wanting desperately to be heard. Using digitally recorded musical passages to illustrate his points, Professor Greenberg will take you inside magnificent compositions by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Verdi, Wagner, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and more. Even if you have listened to many of these illustrative pieces throughout your life - as so many of us have - you will never hear them the same way again after experiencing these lectures.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

A Beginning to a Delinquent Education

I need to start this review with my background and motivation for my review to make sense in context. I would like to consider myself a fairly well-educated person holding multiple degrees from three different universities. Somehow, though, my education completely omitted anything involving music. Sure, I was required to take fine arts electives in high school and college, but I managed to miss music appreciation entirely. Needless to say, I have never picked-up an instrument, know next to nothing about music fundamentals, and have not one ounce of music talent or ability.

This deficiency in my education never caused a problem until I learned that my daughter is required to learn an instrument and take music during middle school. Thankfully, my wife played an instrument through high school and has at least some ability to help my daughter as she starts this part of her education. I do not, however, like being ignorant and do not want to be in the position of being utterly clueless about what my daughter is learning. Thus, I am motivated for the first time in my life to learn at least something about music.

I have experience with the Great Courses series and thought this would be the place to start my delinquent musical education. I am glad that I did. The professor uses a historical approach, which works well with the way that I think, and takes the student through Ancient Greek music all the way through the early part of the 20th Century.

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Title: The Music of Richard Wagner

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Robert Greenberg

Format: Original Recording

Length: 18 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 140 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Music

Publisher's Summary:

In these 24 lectures filled with musical excerpts, enjoy a rich and multifaceted exploration of the trailblazing works and outsized life of this historically pivotal composer.

Your immersion in Wagner's art includes the following:

The sheer outlandishness of Wagner's life makes for an endlessly intriguing story, from his desperate escapades outrunning creditors to his obsessive personal relationships to his utopian artistic schemes. In his writings, letters, and public actions, you investigate the often contradictory - and hypocritical - aspects of his personality. And, reflecting on the nationalist spirit of his time, you track his core desire to make "German Art in the service of a German national identity," even as he created a body of works whose communicative power transcends any national boundary.

With Professor Greenberg's passionate and razor-sharp commentary, you'll plumb the fabulous mystery of a man who gave the world something of deeply compelling and universal resonance: music of great genius and a poetry that reveals the depths of the human psyche.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Wonderful

Where does The Music of Richard Wagner rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Among the best.

What other book might you compare The Music of Richard Wagner to and why?

This is more extensive than most of Greenberg's introductions to great composers. I generally find that the longer the course, the better it is.

Have you listened to any of Professor Robert Greenbergs other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to a great many. This is among the best. Not that it has no flaws (yes, there is a lot of recounting of plots; and Prof.Greenberg's pronunciation of German and French words leaves much to be desired), but Prof. Greenberg speaks with such verve and insight that his presentation of Wagner is both exhilarating and educational.

Any additional comments?

I am not exactly a novice in classical music or in opera (I have seen many of the Wagner operas in German opera houses as well as in Paris), but this audiobook extended and deepened my knowledge and understanding of both the music and the man, and it did so in a most enjoyable and stimulating manner.

I might add that those who are unfamiliar with Greenberg might be put off, as I initially was, by his brash way of speaking and his mispronunciation of foreign words (surprising considering his cultivation and his composer's musical ear). It would be a great shame however to let these keep one away! In time, I began to find his mannerisms more endearing than disturbing to my own benefit for I have gained much through listening to his lectures.

excellent, as usual

the courses taught by Prof.

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Title: Great American Music: Broadway Musicals

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Bill Messenger

Format: Original Recording

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 372 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Music

Publisher's Summary:

Revisit the standards, originally written for the stage, that have both delighted and helped mend the broken hearts of Americans for decades. These 16 delightful lectures immerse you in the world of Broadway, exploring the intricacies of musical composition and song construction-and how they were used to create specific effects - as well as the social and historical backdrop against which musical theater must be considered.

Much as we often concentrate on the so-called "golden age" of the 1950s, American musical theater spans the history of two vibrant centuries: the era of the minstrel show-whose contributions to American music were immense, in spite of the embarrassment we still feel at many of its images-vaudeville, ragtime, the revue; and the age of fully integrated book musicals launched by the 1927 production of Show Boat.

With examples at the piano, Professor Messenger shows you the soundtrack of America - and for millions of us, the soundtrack of our lives. This insightful and sublimely enjoyable learning experience can forever change the way you experience musical theater.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

More than just a lesson on Musical Theatre!!!

This fabulous course gives an excellent history of the American musical with the focus placed firmly where it should be... on the music. Professor Messenger's voice is relaxing and knowledge is impressive. He paints the picture of history with both facts and narrative but also gives the audience a taste of the music he is describing through his on piano renditions, recordings from the period, and reconstructed recordings where no original recording exists. As a theatre artist and musical theatre professional, I found this course to be both edifying and enjoyable, which are the two things that any great piece of theatre should be. For this course is more then just a lesson on musical theatre it is a piece of theatre itself.

Sing Along Worthwhile

I learned more about music theory than I ever expected. I learned more about Black-Face and minstrel shows than I would have thought possible. Without the rights, the lecturer was unable to present "all the classics" but he found remarkable ways through interviews and related content to present an astonishing amount of material. An exceptionally informative overview for both novice and fan.

mostly pre 1950 Broadway

About 14 lessons are spent covering the Broadways that are pre 1950, about 60 years worth, and then in the last 2 lessons he covered the most recent 60 years. If you're interested in learning about Broadway productions that you grew up with in the last 60 years, this is not for you.

An eye opening listen.

For one who is not versed or trained in music, I found Professor Messengers' lectures not only informative and enlightening, but also quite entertaining. I have listened to them twice and will venture into them many more times.

Great lecture. Lousy singing.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Professor Messenger is an entertaining lecturer, but for this audio recording he should've hired a friend or asked one of his students to do the singing. He sings about half of the songs himself. He doesn't even sing them, in fact. He speaks them.

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Title: The String Quartets of Beethoven

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Robert Greenberg

Format: Original Recording

Length: 18 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 103 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Music

Publisher's Summary:

In his 16 quartets for two violins, viola, and cello, Beethoven created a Mount Everest for string players and some of the most sublime, unforgettable music ever written. In this musically rich 24-lecture series, Professor Greenberg guides you in a deep encounter with these majestic works of art, offering you the rare opportunity to grasp the musical riches and spiritual greatness of the quartets in a clear and accessible way.

You'll uncover the musical underpinnings of the luminous beauty, emotional depth, and dramatic scope that make these quartets legendary; examine the inner workings of one of history's most innovative minds; learn the "ritual template" of the Classical string quartet; and probe the seminal innovations of Haydn and Mozart within the template, as they set the stage for the explosive arrival of Beethoven.

The heart of this series is a movement-by-movement exploration of the individual Beethoven quartets, revealing the arc of the composer's fierce independence and imagination as he brings to the string quartet an expressive, formal, and narrative range undreamed of by earlier musicians. You'll delve deeply into the musical innovations that underlie Beethoven's creativity in these works, including "motivic" development, originality, and contextual use of form.

Each of these lectures is a rare and life-enriching opportunity to know the scope of Beethoven's genius, his most unforgettable music, and the profound humanity and beauty that live through them.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Another excellent series

Professor Greenberg once again guides you through a difficult subject with sharp insights and great wit.

Like his symphonies, Beethoven's string quartets span his entire career and offer great diversity in terms of composition and expression. Having an authority like Dr Greenberg walk you through them and provide context makes them that much more enjoyable.

BONUS: The Alexander String Quartets' recording is available for free in Amazon Prime Music.

Detailed; semi-technical; historical context

Greenberg sprinkles his usual silly jokes throughout, and of course follows the constricting Great Courses format with its fake applause, etc., but *unlike* other Greenberg courses this one is supported by excellent performances and sound reproduction -- and there is a lot of music.

(From the accompanying PDF download:

All of the musical examples from the Beethoven and Mozart string quartets incorporated in this lecture series are performed by the Alexander String Quartet. Many are drawn from the quartets recordings for the FoghornClassics label.)

My Audible purchase includes a helpful 157-page PDF download, dated 2009, including a good bibliography.

Again and again!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The Great Courses are great--but Dr. Greenberg is the greatest! I find myself returning to my favorite lectures and listening with more insigh and enjoyment to the piano sonatas, the violin quartets, to all the works that are now open to me because of Dr. G!

Great Read

I did not know there'd was so much detail about music study and Beethoven. I recommend it.

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Title: The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones

Author: Stanley Booth

Narrator: Nick Sullivan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-19-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Music

Publisher's Summary:

Stanley Booth, a member of the Rolling Stones inner circle, met the band just a few months before Brian Jones drowned in a swimming pool, in 1969. He lived with them throughout their 1969 American tour, staying up all night together listening to blues, talking about music, ingesting drugs, and consorting with groupies. His thrilling account culminates with their final concert at Altamont Speedway - a nightmare of beating, stabbing, and killing that would signal the end of a generations dreams of peace and freedom. But while this book renders in fine detail the entire history of the Stones, paying special attention to the tragedy of Brian Jones, it is about much more than a writer and a rock band. It has been called - by Harold Brodkey and Robert Stone, among others - the best book ever written about the '60s. In a new afterword, Booth explains why this book took 15 years to write - an astonishing story of drugs, jails, and disasters.

Members Reviews:

Superlative rendering of a singular story.

Sullivan reading brings the individual characters to life, particularly Mick and Keith. Highly recommend this audiobook if you're at all interested in the early Stones (through Altamont).

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Title: Everybody Wants Some

Subtitle: The Van Halen Saga

Author: Ian Christe

Narrator: Fred Berman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-14-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 92 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Music

Publisher's Summary:

The first definitive biography of the ultimate American rock band

How did a pair of little Dutch boys trained in classical music grow up to become the nucleus of the most popular heavy metal band of all time? What's the secret behind Eddie Van Halen's incredible fast and furious guitar solos? What makes David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar so wacky? And, are all those stories about groupies, booze bashes, and contract riders true? The naked truth is laid bare in Everybody Wants Some - the real-life story of a rock 'n' roll fantasy come true.

Members Reviews:

entertainment

not much here most van halen fans didn't already know. could have been a lot better.

good listen...

Good listen but nothing really new here. The narrator flubbed a few words and didnt seem overly knowlegeable abot the topic.. ex... solder not soldier. Rollmops not romance.

Great book with great narration

Any additional comments?

If you're into Van Halen in any of its phases, this is the book for you. Well-researched, fast moving and complete. Narration is superior.

Van-Tastic!!!

This book is amazing!! I loved everything about this audio book. The narration of Fred Berman, is top notch!! So you call yourself a Van-Halen fan? Then you better get this audio book. You will not be sorry!!

Rock n Roll soap opera

Great... recommend for any fan of the greatest rock band ever. Long live Van Halen

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Title: Beethoven's Shadow

Author: Jonathan Biss

Narrator: Jeff Woodman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-12-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Music

Publisher's Summary:

The American pianist Jonathan Biss is known to audiences throughout the world for his artistry, musical intelligence and deeply felt interpretations. What is less known until now is that Jonathan Biss writes about music in a most compelling and engaging way. For anyone who has ever enjoyed a Beethoven concert or a Beethoven recording or one of the many films about Beethoven, this audiobook is an inspiring listening experience. For those of you who have heard Beethoven in concert or listened to a Beethoven recording, Jonathan Biss takes you behind the scenes of those performances. If your musical interests are much broader than Beethoven or if your interests focus on the creative process , this will fully engage you.

On April 24th, 2007, Beethovens Sonata Opus 109 made me lose my mind. So Jonathan Biss opens this book. He goes on to describe the complex and by no means all positive impact of the technology of the recording process on the experience of performing and listening to music. He also describes the legacy of generations of teachers. You are there when Leon Fleisher teaches Jonathan Biss just as Artur Schnabel taught Leon Fleisher before him. You experience the growth of a talented young musician as he becomes a fully mature artist. Most compelling of all, Jonathan Biss creates an almost spiritual introduction to the making and experiencing of music. He has, in effect, invited the reader into the world of the composer and the performer.

Jonathan Biss includes an annotated audio guide to deepen the experience of anyone who enjoys listening to classical music.

It is an unforgettable experience.

Jonathan Biss has recently begun a nine year project of recording all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas.

Editorial Reviews:

Renowned pianist Jonathan Biss performs from a place within himself where skill, mind, and heart thrive in perfect synchronicity. A dedicated fan of the masters, Biss has undertaken the recording of Beethovens full suite of piano sonatas. A natural teacher, Biss is capable of describing beautifully what music is meant to do to player and to audience. In Beethovens Shadow Biss describes his love of and voyage into the world of music, and focuses especially on his ghost-mentor, Beethoven. His explanation of Beethovens mission and divine successes resound with love. Biss cares about what the composers he loves meant to achieve with each piece. To play is to honor. Narrator Jeff Woodmans warm voice celebrates this sincere work.

Members Reviews:

Interesting Inside Account of a Pianist

A book of elation, really, perhaps bordering on boasting, but who can contain the joy of a successful life as a pianist? I didn't hold any boasting against him. The book covered what it felt like to receive lineage lessons to being in demand to make recordings of the full catalog of Beethoven's sonata's, so it is a nice slice of such a lucky mindframe.

A must for piano and Beethoven enthusiasts

I've listened to a lecture series from Jonathan Biss and was awe-struck by his thorough analysis the valuable insights. This book was like a cherry on top and really strengthened my love and admiration for Beethoven and my admiration and gratitude for Mr Biss and his contribution to our world and my life.