The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD) (Hardcover)

by Anita Ganeri (Author), Benjamin Britten (Composer), Ben Kingsley (Narrator) "The earliest orchestras were simply groups of musicians, large or small, playing together on whatever instruments they had at hand..." (more)
Key Phrases: woodwind instruments, brass section, United States, Benjamin Britten, South American (more...)

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 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 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: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,522 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #4 in	Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Music > History
  #6 in	Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Music > Classical
  #8 in	Books > Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Instrumentation > Orchestra

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	My Paycheck Goes To Amazon - See all my reviews

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 ...

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Patrick P. Cosgrove (Las Vegas, Nevada U.S.A.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Kids, July 11, 2007

By	librarylady "librarylady" (USA) - See all my reviews

I know this product is meant for older children, but my four-year-old loves this book and especially the recording. He can't get enough of the description of the elements of the orchestra and the fugues by Benjamin Britten. He asks to play this over and over in the car. I recommend introducing this to young children - they just might like it, and possibly learn something in the process.