The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music [Mass Market Paperback]

Tim Smith (Author), Michael Tilson Thomas (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2004 | Series: NPR Curious Listener's Guide To...

For the beginner or the devotee—it's everything the classical music buff needs to know.

• The major composers from Bach and Bartok to Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky
• Significant performers from Maurice Andre and Leornard Bernstein to Georg Solti and Yo Yo Ma
• The landmark works from Appalachian Spring to Don Juan
• A concise history of classical music
• A deconstruction of the art form
• The language of classical music
• Valuable resources for the Curious Listener

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

These final entries in NPR's "Curious Listener's" series maintain the fresh spirit and informative stance of the first two, which address opera and popular standards. Smith, music critic for the Baltimore Sun, and Schoenberg, a tenor saxophonist and jazz educator, provide basic introductions geared to lay readers, focusing on the essentials of their respective musical genres, including a history of the form, a description of genres, brief biographies of featured composers and performers, glossaries, and recommended pieces and recordings (50 CDs for each). The charm of this series is the manner in which the authors cover the important points in their own casual yet expert tone, pointing up details along the way with intriguing sidebars (concert etiquette for classical and various historical figures for jazz) or turns of phrase while presenting thought-provoking artist or repertoire selections that will encourage spirited debate. The jazz volume suffers from a few minor editorial glitches (e.g., incorrect alphabetizing and typos), but both books are well crafted and logically organized. Smith's book is reminiscent of Michael Walsh's Who's Afraid of Classical Music? with updated scholarship and some different perspectives, while Schoenberg's complements Gene Seymour's Jazz: The Great American Art. Highly recommended for their combination of reliable information and accessible style, these are real bargains for public libraries. (Indexes not seen.) Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Tim Smith is currently the music critic for the Baltimore Sun. He has written music criticism and other articles for the Washington Post, Washington Star, The New York Times, BBC Music Magazine, Chamber Music America, and others.

 

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade (December 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399527958
• ISBN-13: 978-0399527951
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #436,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended because of competing products, August 1, 2004

By 

Judge Knott "judge_knott" (Upper West Side, NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music (Mass Market Paperback)

This book reminds me of the old saying that "a camel is a horse built by a committee." This text isn't quite right for either beginners or intermediate lovers of classical music. It's not user-friendly or clever enough for beginners, and it's too thin and too passionless for intermediates. It's perfectly okay, but falls well short of the competition.

There are lots of really good classical-music guides on the market, however. Some fun, not-too-taxing ones are Marcus Weeks' "Music: A Crash Course" and Phil G. Golding's "Classical Music." Each of these is fun and fresh.

If you want something more substantive and brainy that will allow you to show off at your next embassy cocktail party, try Fred Plotkin's "Classical Music 101" or Jan Swafford's "The Vintage Guide to Classical Music." Plotkin's is better, but a bit stiff, and Swafford's has many more illustrations.

The very best is, believe it or not, is David Pogue's and Scott Speck's "Classical Music for Dummies." It comes with a good audio CD of sample classical tracks, and the two authors are both professional musicians and very bright people. It's a real and helpful treat.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music, December 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music (Mass Market Paperback)

I found this to be a very helpful, friendly over-all guide to classical music. It contains brief descriptions of major works, capsule bios of well-known composers, and lots of helpful information presented in an easy to understand, down to earth manner. As a novice to this type of music, I found the vast world of Classical repertoire a bit intimidating, but Mr. Smith is not the least bit pretentious, and I found his writings warm and welcoming. I'm sure that even seasoned classical music fans will find this book a handy reference.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Guide for the curious listener, February 27, 2003

By 

"etbraden" (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music (Mass Market Paperback)

I found this book to be a pleasent introduction to a greater understanding of the genre of classical music. It is helpful, but not necessary, to have some understanding of music theory. Knowing what such things as polyphony and monophony are about all that you need to know. The introduction nicley summarizes the book's theme. This is a much better and cheaper way to get introduced to classical music then through such other books as "Classical Music for Dummies," or the "Idiot's Guide to Classical Music." The only thing I found somewhat questionable about this book was the choice of cd's that have been selected for one to build a collection with; otherwise, this book is a valuble resource for liteners be they curious or even casual. For those serious about classical music this book will seem too elemental for their tastes.