The Story of Great Music
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Introduction
What You Need to Begin5 Steps -
The Renaissance and Baroque Eras1. Renaissance8 Steps|1 Quiz
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2. Early Baroque11 Steps|1 Quiz
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The Italian Baroque (40 min)
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The English Baroque (35 min)
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The German Baroque (40 min)
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Watch Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" (35 min)
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Listen: Early Baroque Recordings
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{+} Listening Journal
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{+} Research Papers
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{+} Projects
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{+} The French Baroque
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{+} Italian Baroque Oratorios & Opera
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{+} German Harpsichord Music
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The Italian Baroque (40 min)
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3. Handel10 Steps|1 Quiz
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4. Bach13 Steps|1 Quiz
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The Life of Bach (50 min)
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A Personal Portait: Bach
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Bach's Chamber & Orchestral Music (50 min)
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Bach's Large Choral Works (60 min)
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Listen: Bach Recordings
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{+} Listening Journal
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{+} Research Papers
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{+} Projects
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{+} Bach's Keyboard Music
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{+} Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” & Glenn Gould
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{+} Bach's Organ Music
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{+} Bach's Cantatas
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{+} Bach's Mass in B Minor
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The Life of Bach (50 min)
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The Classical Era5. Haydn8 Steps|1 Quiz
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6. Mozart9 Steps|1 Quiz
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7. Beethoven8 Steps|1 Quiz
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The Romantic Era8. Early German Romantics9 Steps|1 Quiz
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Schubert's Life & Music (55 min)
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Mendelssohn's Life & Music (60 min)
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Schumann's Life & Music (55 min)
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Watch Full Works by Early German Romantics (Varies)
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Listen: Schubert, Mendelssohn & Schumann Recordings
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{+} Listening Journal
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{+} Research Papers
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{+} Projects
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{+} Watch a fun documentary on Schubert's "Trout" Quintet
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Schubert's Life & Music (55 min)
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9. French Romantics8 Steps|1 Quiz
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10. Masters of the Piano8 Steps|1 Quiz
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11. Romantic Opera9 Steps|1 Quiz
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12. Brahms8 Steps|1 Quiz
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13. Romantic Nationalism10 Steps|1 Quiz
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14. Russian Romantics9 Steps|1 Quiz
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The Russian Five (70 min)
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Watch Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky (35 min)
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Tchaikovsky's Life and Music (60 min)
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Watch a Full Work by Tchaikovsky (35-45 min)
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Listen: Russian Romantics Recordings
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{+} Listening Journal
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{+} Research Papers
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{+} Projects
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{+} Tchaikovsky's Other Symphonies & Orchestral Works
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The Russian Five (70 min)
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The 20th Century15. French Impressionism10 Steps|1 Quiz
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Debussy's Life and Music (65 min)
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Listen to Debussy's "La Mer" (24 min)
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Ravel's Life and Music (55 min)
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Listen to Ravel's Piano Concerto in G (25 min)
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Listen: French Impressionism Recordings
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{+} Listening Journal
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{+} Research Papers
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{+} Projects
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{+} Other Great Works by Ravel
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{+} Listen to Gabriel Fauré's Requiem
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Debussy's Life and Music (65 min)
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16. Finland, England, & America9 Steps|1 Quiz
Watch a Full Work by Haydn (25 min)
Choose one of the works below and watch it in its entirety.
Watch Piano Concerto in D Major (24 min)
This is an amazing historic performance from the USSR featuring possibly the greatest pianist of the 20th century: Sviatoslav Richter. He performs here with the Minsk chamber orchestra. Richter loved Haydn and brought a clarity and beauty to his work unmatched by other pianists. This performance was so popular that the audience has them do an encore of the entire work (hence the longer time of the video). The time-codes for the three movements are below.
Timing: 1. Vivace – 1:02 | 2. Un Poco Adagio – 9:35 | 3. Rondo – 15:45 || Encore: 1. Vivace – 24:43 | 2. Un Poco Adagio – 33:09 | 3. Rondo – 39:20
Watch Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major (20 min)
This is a wonderfully lyrical performance by the legendary Russian cellist Mistolov Rostropovich with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. It unfortunately is broken into three videos, so you will just play them one at a time. Rostropovich was considered one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century; he and Richter often performed together.
1. Allegro Moderato
2. Adagio
3. Rondo Allegro
Watch Piano Sonata No. 31 in A Flat Major (26 min)
Performed here by a young Igo Pogorelich, a talented Russian pianist. The movements are marked in the video.
Watch String Quartet Op. 76, No. 2 “Fifths” (21 min)
A rousing live performance by the Jasper Quartet. In this performance, the camera angle is centered so that you can watch how the players interact with each other: it reveals how much concentration it requires for four people to play in perfect unison.
Watch Symphony No. 60, “The Distracted” (26 min)
This is one of Haydn’s more unusual symphonies in that it has six movements. It is conducted by Giovanni Antonini and the orchestra Il Giardino Armonico.
Timing: 1. Adagio – Allegro di molto – 0:08 | 2. Andante – 6:30 | 4. Menuetto – Trio – 12:23 | 4. Presto – 16:01 | 5. Adagio – Allegro – 18:48 | 6. Finale – Prestissimo – 23:17