Great Piano Works Explained

Watch Great Piano Works Explained

  • 2023
  • 1 Season

In this course, you'll study key works of many composers, from Bach and Mozart through music written in the 21st century, and unpack their structure, the musical materials that drive them, and the specific features that affect listeners so strongly, giving you a clear grounding in how to approach and hear this great music.

Great Piano Works Explained is a series that ran for 1 seasons (21 episodes) between November 1, 2023 and on The Great Courses

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Seasons
New Sounds for a New Century
24. New Sounds for a New Century
November 1, 2023
First, hear Spatials, by African American composer George Walker, an electric and atonal set of variations on an original theme. Follow that with George Crumb
Marginalized Composers
23. Marginalized Composers
November 1, 2023
First, hear the remarkable Adagio in F minor by Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, an 18th-century Black composer. Follow with the eerie Prelude No. 6 by Ruth Crawford Seeger; works by the African American composer Florence Price; and Frederic Rzewski
Charles Ives, Sergei Prokofiev, and B
22. Charles Ives, Sergei Prokofiev, and B
November 1, 2023
Begin with the contemplative third movement of Ives
French Piano in the Early 20th Century
21. French Piano in the Early 20th Century
November 1, 2023
France produced a spectrum of groundbreaking piano music in the new century. Encounter the striking originality and tonal beauty of Maurice Ravel in his Valses Nobles et Sentimentales and Tombeau de Couperin. Then, come to grips with the wildly eccentric Erik Satie and meet the whimsical Francis Poulenc, who created piano music that often chooses irony, parody, and humor over introspection.
The Preludes of Debussy
20. The Preludes of Debussy
November 1, 2023
Investigate the sensibility that imbues Debussy
Claude Debussy
19. Claude Debussy
November 1, 2023
In approaching Debussy
Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern
18. Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern
November 1, 2023
Experience the music of three Viennese modernists, reflecting the dislocations of the early 20th century. Hear Schoenberg
The Rise of the Russian Pianists
17. The Rise of the Russian Pianists
November 1, 2023
Learn about the riches of the Russian school of piano playing, through two remarkable composers. Taste the lush melodies and grand pianism of Sergei Rachmaninoff through his Prelude in G minor, Op. 23 No.5. Also, hear the piano creations of Aleksandr Scriabin, from his early, Romantic-inspired
Franz Liszt: The Consummate Pianist
16. Franz Liszt: The Consummate Pianist
November 1, 2023
Take the measure of Franz Liszt as a larger-than-life pianistic showman, the greatest virtuoso of his age, and an innovative composer with a vast command of the resources of the instrument. Experience Liszt
Johannes Brahms: Piano
15. Johannes Brahms: Piano
November 1, 2023
As an exemplar of the expressive landscape of Brahms
Chopin
14. Chopin
November 1, 2023
Contemplate the ethereal beauty of Chopin
Fr
13. Fr
November 1, 2023
Travel into the poetic and passionate universe of Chopin
Clara Schumann and the Plight of Women Composers
12. Clara Schumann and the Plight of Women Composers
November 1, 2023
Look into the phenomenon of women composers, particularly in the 19th century, and take account of the cultural thinking and lack of musical education that barred most women from composing music. Hear nocturnes by Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn, noting their originality of phrase structure and harmonies, and consider whether these works may represent promise not wholly fulfilled.
Robert Schumann
11. Robert Schumann
November 1, 2023
As a first encounter with Romantic piano music, learn about Schumann
Schubert
10. Schubert
November 1, 2023
Find the expression of Schubert
The Songs of Franz Schubert
9. The Songs of Franz Schubert
November 1, 2023
As a core element of Schubert
Beethoven
8. Beethoven
November 1, 2023
In the majestic conclusion of the sonata, Professor Kautsky guides you through the short and dramatic second movement, leading into the mournful melody which begins the finale, and from there to the great concluding fugue. In Professor Kautsky
Mozart
5. Mozart
November 1, 2023
From the dramatic opening of the great C Minor Sonata, hear how the sonata functions as a dynamic conversation between opposing ideas, expressed in the interaction of different musical voices and themes. Learn about the uses of the pedals in piano music, about Mozart
Joseph Haydn
3. Joseph Haydn
November 1, 2023
Take a first look at sonata form, a key formal structure in classical music. In Haydn
Bach
2. Bach
November 1, 2023
Delve into the riches of Bach
J. S. Bach and The Well-Tempered Clavier
1. J. S. Bach and The Well-Tempered Clavier
November 1, 2023
Begin the course with the sublime keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Learn about the musical form of the fugue, based in the interplay of different musical lines or
Description

In this course, you'll study key works of many composers, from Bach and Mozart through music written in the 21st century, and unpack their structure, the musical materials that drive them, and the specific features that affect listeners so strongly, giving you a clear grounding in how to approach and hear this great music.

Great Piano Works Explained is a series that ran for 1 seasons (21 episodes) between November 1, 2023 and on The Great Courses

Where to Watch Great Piano Works Explained
Great Piano Works Explained is available for streaming on the The Great Courses website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Great Piano Works Explained on demand at Amazon Prime and Amazon.
  • Premiere Date
    November 1, 2023
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