The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD) [Paperback]

Anita Ganeri (Author), Benjamin Britten (Author), Ben Kingsley (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

This elegant hardcover book-and-CD package introduces the sights and sounds of the orchestra. After listening to the sounds of each instrument on the CD--from mellow flutes to blazing trumpets--readers may turn to the accompanying book to learn more about the orchestra and its instruments. All are invited to tour each section--string, woodwind, brass, and percussion--to discover what makes classical music so universally expressive. “This is a great book for children of all ages.”--American Bookseller

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6?First impressions can be somewhat deceiving. This handsomely designed title features an inviting layout: boxed captions; crisp, full-color photographs; and compressed information presented in double-page spreads. Varying type sizes lead the eye from headings to descriptions. Frequent diagrams illustrate where each group of instruments is seated in the orchestra, and fascinating trivia bites will intrigue browsers without overwhelming them. Organization of information could not have been better orchestrated. The accompanying compact disc, Benjamin Britten's classic The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, sonorously narrated by Ben Kingsley, paired with The Sorcerer's Apprentice, makes this package almost irresistible. Unfortunately, the scope of the presentation is just too vast. While the author glances at instruments and music of the world and peeks at learning about running an orchestra, she doesn't give a complete enough picture of the generic orchestra. There are only two very small color photos of orchestras, and the gorgeous, large, detailed illustrations of the seven highlighted instruments lack labels. The inadequate glossary does not define the cor anglais, which is mentioned, but not pictured. Neil Ardley's Music (Knopf, 1989) has pictures and diagrams of more instruments and covers the world of music, including rock, but has no information about composers or the orchestra. Betty Lou English's You Can't Be Timid with a Trumpet (Lothrop, 1980; o.p.) provides a grand, personalized tour of instruments and musicians.?Marilyn Payne Phillips, University City Public Library, MO
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6. Accompanying this book on orchestral music is a CD featuring Britten's A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (ably narrated by actor Ben Kingsley) as well as Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice. The book begins with an overview of the orchestra and then centers around groups of instruments, explaining a bit of their history and their sound's distinctive quality. Small photographs show several instruments within the group, and one or two large photos highlight individual instruments with their parts clearly labelled. Oddly, the instrument is named only in the small group photo, not where it is shown alone. The book also introduces eight famous composers, world music, Benjamin Britten, and the background of The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. A space for the CD is embedded in the book's front cover, a practical solution to the problem of keeping the book and music together, as long as the plastic holder is intact. Handsome and useful. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; Book and CD-ROM edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152013040
• ISBN-13: 978-0152013042
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High Quality, Educational and Fun Entertainment, September 23, 2005

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My Paycheck Goes To Amazon - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD) (Paperback)

Money well spent! Good quality music on the enclosed CD, nice explanations and illustrations in the book. This book will introduce you / your children to the instruments and history of orchestra music in an entertaining fashion.
The book was recommended in Susan Bauer's Well-Trained Mind (Classical Homeschool Education). A nice read-and-listen activity for the whole family even if you are not into homeschooling. Try it on a car trip ...

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tremendously helpful as teaching tool, besides being fun!, February 19, 2006

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Jon Waterman "Film buff" (NYC) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD) (Paperback)

This piece of music by Britten has always been, for me at least,the finest teaching tool in the world of classical music. Even for teaching oneself about the instruments of the orchestra (and especially using the CD alongside) it is just unbeatable. A superb and very easy piece of music to listen to, it is also ingenious, easy to follow and quite memorable to boot. The main theme is great and all the little solos show off the seperate instruments beautifully. You simply cannot get better than this anywhere.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not A Help For Teachers, February 27, 2008

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Austen (California, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD) (Paperback)

I purchased this with the thought that it would add another dimension to my lesson plans introducing classical music and orchestration to young children in primary grades. It did not meet my objective. The narration is a bit high-brow and dull for kids. I hoped that the CD would have tracks to go with each section of the book but that was not the case. I have been able to pull some tidbits of information from the book to include in lesson plans but overall it hasn't been useful. I would highly recommend "The Story of the Orchestra" by Robert Levine.

I do give the book 3 stars for those who may have a young music student (maybe between 8-10 yrs. old) who is self motivated and might enjoy this book as an individual endeavor.