The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works

Overview

Course No. 7330

Experience the profound joy of landmark creations by Haydn, Beethoven, and others in this survey of orchestral works considered the greatest in Western history. Over the centuries, orchestral music has given us a category of works that stand apart as transcendent expressions of the human spirit. What are these “greatest of the greats”? Find out in these 32 richly detailed lectures that take you on a sumptuous grand tour of the symphonic pieces that continue to live at the center of our musical culture.

These thirty masterworks form an essential foundation for any music collection and a focal point for understanding the orchestral medium and deepening your insight into the communicative power of music. While seasoned music lovers will find the lectures a revealing journey through the repertoire, the course welcomes newcomers to orchestral music, offering a very accessible point of entry to this magnificent repertoire.

Video Lectures

01: Game Plan and Preliminaries

What defines a great orchestral work? Is it a piece’s enduring expressive impact? Find answers as this lecture tracks the orchestra’s evolution and defines the stylistic eras you’ll encounter in this course.

Duration: 48 min

02: Vivaldi-The Four Seasons

Explore Vivaldi’s life and musical innovations in Baroque-era Venice, and delve into the four concertos of The Four Seasons, depicting humanity’s relationship to nature.

Duration: 47 min

03: Bach-Brandenburg Concerto No. 2

Follow Bach’s career and the challenges of musical life in Baroque Germany. Discover his brilliant interpretation of ritornello form in the Brandenburg No. 2.

Duration: 45 min

04: Bach-Violin Concerto in E Major

Highlighting the first two movements of the E Major violin concerto, see how Bach pushes the limits of ritornello and passacaglia forms to create a compelling sense of drama.

Duration: 47 min

05: Haydn-Symphony No. 104

Learn about Haydn’s life in the court of Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy and grasp important elements of his masterful symphonic writing in his great, final symphony.

Duration: 48 min

06: Mozart-Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor

Explore Mozart’s relationship with the piano concerto and discover how he breaks the conventions of Classical style in this distinctive work.

Duration: 47 min

07: Mozart-Symphony in C Major, “Jupiter”

Examine the thematic structure of the “Jupiter” symphony, grasping Mozart’s extraordinary inventiveness and the seminal circumstances around its creation.

Duration: 43 min

08: Beethoven-Symphony No. 3

Reflect on Beethoven’s connection to Napoleon and study the narrative arc of the Third Symphony, expressing heroic struggle through groundbreaking musical techniques.

Duration: 48 min

09: Beethoven-Piano Concerto No. 4

See how Beethoven innovated the traditional concerto format and utilized the full symphonic resources of the orchestra while establishing melodic splendor.

Duration: 46 min

10: Beethoven-Symphony No. 9

Learn about Beethoven’s reinvention of the symphony in this monumental work and study the Ninth Symphony’s musical architecture and dramatic narrative.

Duration: 49 min

11: Schubert-Symphony No. 9

Contemplate Schubert’s astonishing creative output and the influence of Beethoven on his renowned Ninth Symphony, exploring its melodic treasures and thematic elements.

Duration: 44 min

12: Mendelssohn- “Italian” Symphony

Discover Mendelssohn’s extraordinary musical voice in this symphony, characterized by lyric beauty and formal lucidity, while addressing controversies about his style.

Duration: 45 min

13: Schumann-Symphony No. 3

Trace the movement of Romanticism in Schumann’s work and experience the rich textures and impressions of the Rhine depicted in his Third Symphony.

Duration: 45 min

14: Brahms-Symphony No. 4

Investigate Brahms’s genius and the celebrated Fourth Symphony, tracking the endless metamorphosis of its themes and observing the masterful passacaglia at its conclusion.

Duration: 48 min

15: Brahms-Violin Concerto

Explore the relationship between Brahms and the violinist Joseph Joachim in this concerto, studying themes of glory and innovative structuring throughout its movements.

Duration: 45 min

16: Tchaikovsky-Symphony No. 4

Examine how Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony mirrors events in his life, charting the symphony’s narrative from struggle against fate to emotional resolution.

Duration: 48 min

17: Tchaikovsky-Violin Concerto

Investigate Tchaikovsky’s musical sensibility and his soaring use of the violin in the concerto’s opening, allowing for creative restatement and thematic variations.

Duration: 45 min

18: Bedrich Smetana-Ma Vlast

Learn about Smetana’s role in musical nationalism and the grand symphonic poem Ma Vlast, evoking the beauty of Bohemian landscape and history.

Duration: 47 min

19: Dvorak-Symphony No. 8

Study how Dvorak fused Classicism with Romanticism in his Eighth Symphony, highlighting key folk music elements and the tonal shifts throughout its movements.

Duration: 46 min

20: Dvorak-Concerto for ‘Cello

Discover Dvorak’s experiences in 1890s New York and the personal significance of the ‘Cello Concerto, including key passages and themes throughout the work.

Duration: 47 min

21: Rimsky-Korsakov-Scheherazade

Explore Rimsky-Korsakov’s influence on Russian concert music and the literary base of Scheherazade, studying its thematic representations in this programmatic work.

Duration: 47 min

22: Richard Strauss-Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Trace Strauss’s musical education and examine his rendering of Nietzsche’s work in Thus Spoke Zarathustra, focusing on the famous “Nature theme.”

Duration: 48 min

23: Mahler-Symphony No. 5

Explore the Fifth Symphony’s narrative as a medium for philosophical contemplation and the depiction of life events amid Mahler’s cultural milieu.

Duration: 48 min

24: Rachmaninoff-Symphony No. 2

Investigate Rachmaninoff’s complex relationship with modernism and experience the Symphony’s themes, melodic beauty, and thematic architectural ingenuity.

Duration: 46 min

25: Debussy-La Mer

Enter Debussy’s world through La Mer, examining his fascination with timbres and colors of sound in this work depicting the sea’s movements and light.

Duration: 45 min

26: Stravinsky-The Rite of Spring

Learn about the development of Stravinsky’s groundbreaking score for the Ballets Russes and its lasting influence on musical composition and structure.

Duration: 46 min

27: Saint-Saens-Symphony No. 3

Discover the musical landscape of Saint-Saëns’s life and the extraordinary elements within Symphony No. 3 that showcase its rich orchestration.

Duration: 49 min

28: Holst-The Planets

Assess the character of Holst and the astrological basis behind The Planets, identifying movements and their thematic material throughout the suite.

Duration: 50 min

29: Copland-Appalachian Spring

Trace the emergence of American concert music and Copland’s influence, while studying the elements characterizing the score of Appalachian Spring.

Duration: 46 min

30: Shostakovich-Symphony No. 5

Understand the connection between Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony and the political repression in Russia, exploring its narrative and emotional depth.

Duration: 44 min

31: Shostakovich-Symphony No. 10

Examine the postwar purges and Shostakovich’s response in the Tenth Symphony, reflecting on the metaphorical confrontation between the artist and the despot.

Duration: 46 min

32: The Ones That Got Away

Reflect on the rich scope of orchestral literature and examine excerpts from various composers, while discussing the survival challenges facing modern orchestras.

Duration: 50 min