Customer Reviews

The Farewell Symphony

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I do collect children's books and take into consideration the illustrations as well as the story. I rate this book excellent, the story is True, based on documented evidence. A CD is also included of the complete "The Farewell Symphony'" and I replay it ad infinitum. Excellent investment in quality entertainment. The illustrations are delightful! Dorothy Hope

I would read this to a class or child and then enjoy listening to the work. It's a very nice introduction to Haydn and the humor he used when composing. Wonderful book and it comes with a nice performance of several of Haydn's Symphonys.

As a budding musicologist with a focus on Haydn, I bought this book as a way both of introducing what I am doing, and hopefully create a spark of interest in classical music, in the youngest members of my extended family. As a scholar, I am thoroughly impressed by Anna Harwell Celenza's work. The book really manages to capture Haydn's position at Esterháza, and her interpretation of the story and the symphony's musical content is as good as anyone's. At the end of the book there is a small text about the classical symphony, which is very nice, although it's instrument section does not mention flutes and timpani, which, to be sure, is not used in the Farewell symphony, but certainly were used often enough to warrant an inclusion even so. (Flutes are also featured in the second symphony on the following cd, no 31)

English is not my main language, but I do consider myself to be sufficiently fluent to have a say on matters of language: It strikes me that this book perhaps uses language that may be a bit too lofty for Amazon's recommended audience of 4-8 years; certainly the lower spectrum probably will not be able to properly grasp it.

The following cd has a recording of the Farewell symphony, as well of the "Horn signal" symphony, no. 31. Both of these recordings are of solid quality, and certainly improves the value of the book for anyone who hasn't already got an exhaustive collection of Haydn's symphonies. A very minor point, however, is that the Horn Signal is put first on the cd. While this is stated on the front of the cd it is a counter-intuitive solution, and it is bound to happen that someone not familiar with the works will be puzzled by why the first movement of the Horn signal symphony is described as "angry".

These are minor quibbles, though. If I am correct that the language used may be a bit too much for Amazon's suggested age group, that shouldn't be a problem for most; children do, as we all know, have a tendency to grow. I highly recommend this book, then, for anyone wanting to expose their own or other's children to the world of classical music. The music of the Farewell symphony I would think is supremely appropriate for this: It is intense, but not overpowering, of appropriate length and proportion, and is, finally, an acclaimed masterwork. And Celenza has certainly done a commendable job describing it for anyone not yet ready to take on James Webster's book on the subject. :)