Irreverent and offbeat, yet brimming with an informed and enthusiastic love of all kinds of music, this is a unique and accessible introduction to classical music for the aspiring enthusiast with little or no musical training.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Meant as an alternative to conventional "music appreciation" texts, this book might have been subtitled "A Lifetime Listening Plan," because that's about how long it would take to do justice to its ambitious program. The heart of the book consists of 88 "listening groups," each comprised of four major classical works linked by a short essay. The piquant juxtapositions suggested in many of these groups can certainly enhance a listener's understanding and enjoyment. What may daunt all but the most dedicated, however, is the fact that many of these groups contain well over four hours of music, which must be heard a number of times to be digested. Two more caveats: the conversational writing style is at times self-indulgent, even annoying, and some quirky opinions are presented as facts. Recommended for larger collections as a supplement, not a substitute, for standard texts.
- E. Gaub, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, N.Y.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- E. Gaub, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, N.Y.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From the Publisher
Irreverent, off-beat and yet brimming with an informed and enthusiastic love of all kinds of music, this is a unique and easy to understand introduction to classical music for the uninitiated--those with a budding curiosity, but not the slightest idea where to start.
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More About the Author
I was born in Wilmington, Delaware and grew up in Connecticut. I have graduate degrees in Modern European History from Johns Hopkins and Stanford Universities, and at one time or another studied and played piano, clarinet, viola, and percussion. I am currently the founder and Executive Editor of Classicstoday.com, the internet's first major classical music review magazine.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the best book on how to listen to music,
By A Customer
This review is from: Beethoven or Bust: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Listening to Great Music (Paperback)
This is a unique book. Frankly I am amazed it is out of print. The author is chatty, informative, but most importantly avoids the ridiculous convention of discussing music appreciation as if it were a history of the great composers. Music is discussed as MUSIC, and the author provides a superb framework for listening to and understanding all kinds of music. A must for anyone who wants to gain a better appreciation of serious music.
9 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not Informative; pretentiously abstract.,
By Annapurni Srikar (Cambridge, MA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beethoven or Bust: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Listening to Great Music (Paperback)
With a reasonably good start, the book wavers in obscure directions; it tends to get judgmental about music appreciation, when it discusses works of different composers. The aesthetics of music is completely personal. The author should have focussed completely on the technical aspects of Western classical music. Definitely Not the book a beginner should read.
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