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Rated 5 out of 5 by pat2023 from Amazing That one person could both teach the history of these works AND play such a wide range of that music made it a very special learning experience.

Date published: 2023-05-28

Rated 5 out of 5 by smb1 from Unique Encompassing presentation As a pianist I thoroughly enjoyed this series. Would I have liked changes? Of course, she ignored Chopin's Scherzos, Etudes and Sonatas and Rachmaninoff's Etude-Tableau. I missed Faure, Szymanowski and others. But the host excelled at the evolution of the piano and its music. This plus her unique personal feelings on the composer and the pieces was outstanding. I didn't mind not showing the score while playing. She intended this as lecture - not demonstration. My only suggestion is using snippets from other pianists to demonstrate (for example) Liszt's (and Lyapunov's - another no show) transcendental etudes or perhaps Lugansky with the Etude-Tableaus or even Horowitz for any number of pieces.

Date published: 2023-05-26

Rated 5 out of 5 by Raymond 24 from Very wortwhile I took a few years of piano lessons as a kid and have minimal background in music theory (much of which I picked up from Robert Greenberg’s lectures). So some of this was over my head. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation, and learned a lot about what composers are trying to do and how they do it. There’s also a lot of great piano playing which Catherine Kautsky wonderfully intersperses with her lectures. I was particularly blown away by her playing as part of Lecture 12 an entire piece by Clara Wieck, and excerpts from works by Fanny Mendelssohn. Kautsy asks “whether we’ve been overlooking minor masterpieces . . . or if we should simply sadly regret so many women’s lost opportunities to develop and reach the pinnacle of their art.” We can only answer: “Yes. Both.” What a shame that the strictures of their time did not allow these and other women to reach anywhere near their potentials as composers! In Lecture 16 she plays an entire emotional Liszt sonnet of over 7½ minutes, commenting as she goes, which is marvelously enlightening. Finally, there’s a great feature at the end of the Guidebook: links to performances of many if not all of the pieces discussed. Very worthwhile for anyone who enjoys music.

Date published: 2023-04-24

Rated 5 out of 5 by JBS47 from Master Teacher, Master Pianist Professor Kautsky takes us through the historical development of the piano repertory while playing excerpts with exquisite grace and passion, an intellectual and aesthetic journey of the highest order. Yet she takes care not to overwhelm us. The setting is intimate as she made me feel that she was speaking to and playing just for me. Over time I became a more appreciative listener as Kautsky layered her presentation, always revisiting what she taught in previous classes. Her narrative is rich with choice anecdotes about the lives of composers and their relationship to the historical times in which they lived. Overall, I gained a deeper understanding of the power (and limits) of the instrument itself, the development of the piano repertory, and the role piano music holds in the classical tradition itself. An enduring treasure, this course will be worth listening to many times over.

Date published: 2023-04-15

Rated 5 out of 5 by Douglas Mock from Excellent course with great balance Balance, that is, between having the instructor playing substantial sections of the pieces, and providing relevant biographical information on each of the composers and compelling explanations of each pieces' significance and structure. The professor's ability to combine these approaches - each of which adds quality and depth to the lectures - was remarkable. Each lecture drew my attention to characteristics I hadn't considered before. And yet the material is presented in such a way that students with little knowledge of the piano and piano works, all the way to very advanced students (and even those who just listen), can benefit. In short, I would have thought it nearly impossible to combine all these features I have mentioned effectively, and yet here it is done, and right well. The professor has a gentle, incisive and humorous approach, and is obviously alert to trends outside of the realm of music that add depth to her analysis (a feature also of Professor Greenberg's lectures). A reasonably competent amateur piano player myself, I found myself so entranced by her performance and commentary on Schubert ( a composer I previously dismissed), that I went out and bought a whole Schubert library to my profit. I highly recommend this course.

Date published: 2023-03-05

Rated 5 out of 5 by BellaMusic from Outstanding Course! The scope of the world’s piano repertoire is vast. It is nearly impossible to narrow down a cross section of “great works”. Yet Dr. Kautsky has done just that. Through this lecture, she has provided a comprehensive, insightful, and well balanced view on the most representative and important composers and their repertoire. Dr. Kautsky not only enlightened me with new knowledge, but also delighted me with the beauty of all the details that she identified in the works she shared and performed. This is one of the most outstanding lectures on piano literature that I’ve encountered. Dr. Kautsky combines her gift of storytelling and her sensitive and insightful performance to give us an engaging and thought provoking adventure through this presentation. If you are looking for more than surface level learning, you will not be disappointed. Highly recommended!

Date published: 2023-03-03

Rated 5 out of 5 by puigmald from Admirably didactic, delicious to the ears The video lessons of Prof. Kautsky provide a unique opportunity to appreciate the logical and emotional components of each musical work approached, and at the same time follow the interpretive explanations given by a brilliant musician.

Date published: 2023-03-01

Rated 5 out of 5 by mschultz50 from Great Piano Works is Fantastic! I have been listening to Great Piano Works Explained on Audible as well as reading the terrifically written PDF companion to the pieces. I'm learning piano as an adult and exploring the world of piano music for the first time. I can't imagine a better course coming at a better time. Professor Katusky is insightful and engaging, and brings plenty of fun and personality to the narrative. Her playing is a joy to listen to. I'm not there in the course yet, but I see she has written a book on Debussy. Can't wait to hear the analysis of Clair de lune and the Debussy Preludes. Great Piano Works Explained is, in fact, a Great Course.

Date published: 2023-02-20

Overview

The glorious repertoire for solo piano includes many of classical music’s most beloved masterpieces. 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.

About

Catherine Kautsky

Of all the musical instruments in the western world, the piano can do far and away the most things.

ALMA MATER

Stony Brook University

INSTITUTION

Lawrence University

Catherine Kautsky is the George and Marjorie Olsen Chandler Professor of Music and the Chair of Keyboard at Lawrence University. She earned her Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University. She is a performer, teacher, writer, and lecturer who has performed and given classes on six continents, winning accolades for both her playing and her far-ranging commentary. The New York Times lauded her as “a pianist who can play Mozart and Schubert as though their sentiments and habits of musical speech coincided exactly with hers.”

By This Professor

Trailer

01: J. S. Bach and The Well-Tempered Clavier

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 “voices,” employing a basic musical idea or subject in successive variations. Study two of Bach’s fugues and contemplate his genius in using their formal materials to create music of astonishing beauty and dramatic power.

30 min

02: Bach’s French Suites

Delve into the riches of Bach’s dance suites, multi-part works built on simple musical elements. In his French Suite No. 5 in G major, study the individual movements, from the peaceful Allemande and the lively Courante to the pensive Sarabande and the final, joyous Gigue. Grasp how Bach creates endless variations of motion, rhythm, texture, and tension/resolution in this magical keyboard piece.

36 min

03: Joseph Haydn’s Early Classical Piano

Take a first look at sonata form, a key formal structure in classical music. In Haydn’s brilliant Sonata in C Minor, see how the first movement leads from the opening exposition through development and recapitulation, and how Haydn uses musical detours, transitions, and tonal modulations to create an engrossing and often surprising musical narrative, bearing his own unique expressive signature.

35 min

04: Mozart’s High Classical Piano

Enter the world of Mozart’s superlative writing for the piano. In excerpts from his piano sonatas, observe how he creates perfectly balanced phrases, making exquisite use of the musical conventions of the classical era. Find the essence of his musical voice in his use of melodies, drawing on the lyricism of opera, and his ability to move seamlessly from one emotional state to another.

31 min

05: Mozart’s Sonata in C Minor, K. 457

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’s markings in the score, and the slurs (the linking of notes), harmonies, and modulations that give this passionate work its power.

36 min

06: Beethoven’s Sonata in F Minor, Op. 2, No. 1

Witness how the composer challenged expectations in this piece by enlarging the structure of the sonata and infusing it with more drama and contrast than previous composers had done. See how Beethoven ingeniously uses small musical ideas to create huge structures, fusing logic and emotion with unforgettable expressive force, and using longer forms, louder dynamics, and combustible energy to distinguish himself from his classical predecessors.

37 min

07: Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31, Op. 110, Movt. 1

In this late Beethoven masterpiece, travel into the architecture of the first movement, to see how the composer creates a compelling musical narrative. Follow the unfolding themes, their development through multiple modulations, and the uncanny return to the original tonality that make the movement a remarkable journey. Then hear the complete movement, in Professor Kautsky’s sensitive playing.

38 min

08: Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31, Op. 110, Movts. 2–3

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’s playing, hear how the earlier lament returns, before the fugue surges back to life, ending the sonata on a glorious note of triumph and victory.

29 min

09: The Songs of Franz Schubert

As a core element of Schubert’s keyboard writing, look at his use of modulations, the changes of key and tonality that infuse his music. Grasp how he uses modulations for expressive purposes, to evoke the boundaries between emotions. See this at work in two of his famous songs, as they move between minor and major, and also in the beautiful and haunting Impromptu Opus 90 No. 4.

25 min

10: Schubert’s Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960

Find the expression of Schubert’s genius in the first movement of this beloved and iconic sonata. From the luminous opening theme, hear how the music moves from serenity to joy, passionate exultation, sorrow, and beyond—a journey through unexpected keys, silences, unfinished thoughts, and unpredictable outcomes, raising questions rather than offering answers.

31 min

11: Robert Schumann’s Romantic Dream World

As a first encounter with Romantic piano music, learn about Schumann’s piano “cycles,” multipart episodic pieces that allowed him to express himself freely. In his great Kreisleriana, Papillons, and Carnaval, hear how he speaks through different musical personas and musical “codes,” creating solo piano works of profound sentiment; harmonic freedom; and wild, unbridled imagination.

31 min

12: Clara Schumann and the Plight of Women Composers

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.

32 min

13: Frédéric Chopin: Piano’s Quintessential Romantic

Travel into the poetic and passionate universe of Chopin’s piano music, and his unique, sensuous use of the instrument. In sampling the astonishing expressive range of his piano writing, hear the otherworldly dissonance of his Prelude No. 2, and the undulating waltz Opus 69 No. 1, before concentrating on his mazurkas, iconic Polish dances which reveal Chopin’s emotionally complex sensibility.

33 min

14: Chopin’s Nocturnes and Ballades

Contemplate the ethereal beauty of Chopin’s famous Nocturne in Db major. Grasp how the use of rubato (rhythmic flexibility), pedaling, and exquisite modulations contribute to the piece’s hypnotic atmosphere. In the majestic Ballade in F minor, hear how Chopin propels two themes through a richly diverse musical journey filled with longing, leading to a fiery, transcendent conclusion.

36 min

15: Johannes Brahms: Piano’s Dark Poet

As an exemplar of the expressive landscape of Brahms’s piano music, delve into the six pieces of his Opus 118. Begin with the heartfelt Intermezzo No. 2 whose sinuous melodies, counterpoint, and inner voices flow so naturally. Take in the enormous range of emotion and mood in these pieces, from the turbulent No. 1 to the eerie No. 6, as they reveal Brahms’s incomparable musical voice.

38 min

16: Franz Liszt: The Consummate Pianist

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’s piano writing in his Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6, drawn from Roma themes, and his Petrarch Sonnet No. 104, a haunting tone poem on unrequited love which dazzles with its sonic textures.

28 min

17: The Rise of the Russian Pianists

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 Étude Op. 2 No. 1 to his late, strikingly modernist preludes, in Professor Kautsky’s evocative playing.

29 min

18: Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern

Experience the music of three Viennese modernists, reflecting the dislocations of the early 20th century and a desire to explore the unconscious. Hear Schoenberg’s Sechs kleine Klavierstücke from 1911 with its rejection of traditional tonality and aura of psychic disorder. Continue with Berg’s neo-romantic and dreamlike Piano Sonata, Op.1, and taste Webern’s austere yet expressive Piano Variations.

43 min

19: Claude Debussy’s “Clair de lune”

In approaching Debussy’s sensual Claire de Lune, learn about the artistic climate of Belle Époque Paris that influenced the composer, and his own musical personality, which sought new sounds and forms. Hear how Claire de Lune seems to exist outside of time, and note how Debussy uses supple rhythm, undulating lines and sustained pedaling to evoke a sonic atmosphere of dreams and the unknowable.

37 min

20: The Preludes of Debussy

Investigate the sensibility that imbues Debussy’s music; his attraction to apparitions, reverie, and exoticism, and how he makes these manifest in his piano Preludes. Witness how he uses harmonies suggesting Javanese music in Voiles (Veils) and evokes Egypt in Canope and Spain in La Puerta del Vino. Finish with the mercurial “General Lavine” - excentric -, portraying a famous Parisian circus clown.

36 min

21: French Piano in the Early 20th Century

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.

32 min

22: Charles Ives, Sergei Prokofiev, and Béla Bartók

Here, encounter three 20th-century giants who forged new pathways while honoring traditional musical forms. Begin with the contemplative third movement of Ives’s iconic Concord Sonata, evoking the family home of Bronson and Louisa May Alcott. Continue with Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 3, blending romanticism with dissonant modernism, and the percussive, modal textures of Bartók’s Rumanian Folk Dances and Mikrokosmos.

26 min

23: Marginalized Composers

This lecture shines a light on composers who have been marginalized because of race, gender, or class. 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’s musical homage to Oscar Wilde, which uses both music and spoken text.

31 min

24: New Sounds for a New Century

Finish the course with three highly contrasting works of recent times. 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’s Makrokosmos, in which the pianist plays with thimbles and metal chains on the inside of the piano. Conclude with Jörg Widmann’s dreamlike Idyll and Abyss, which evokes the spirit of Schubert in 21st-century language and brings the course full circle.

36 min