Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought) (Hardcover)

by Kathleen Krull (Author), Kathryn Hewitt (Illustrator) "SUNNY, WARM, VENICE WAS A PLACE where you couldn't get away from music..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Clara Schumann, Scott Joplin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Red was Mozart's favorite color. Beethoven was a slob. Clara Schumann's concerts were so popular that police had to be called in for crowd control. In this enthralling work, Krull dishes 16 of the movers and shakers in musical history--from Vivaldi and the "three B's" (Bach, Beethoven and Brahms) to Gilbert and Sullivan, Woody Guthrie and Scott Joplin (early critics of his ragtime accused it of causing permanent brain damage and ruining people's morals). Readers who thrive on offbeat information will be delighted by the splendid array of fun facts lurking in these informative and accurate snapshot biographies. Krull masterfully distills the essentials of each musician's life into snappy prose, an attitude echoed in the book's lively, playful design (the introductory page for each musician, for example, contains not only pertinent information but tantalizing, often cryptic "kickers" as well--the one above Brahms's name alludes to his checked underwear, which audiences occasionally glimpsed when the absent-minded conductor forgot to fasten his suspenders). Hewitt's caricatures feature full-sized heads on tiny bodies--a slant that plays up the quirky presentation. She, too, has an eye for detail, pulling out appropriate visual tidbits from the text--Bach's prized silver coffeepots, for example, grace a page corner. Even those only remotely interested in music will be hooked by these living, breathing anecdotes--the stuff of which the best biography is made. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8-- Bravo! A collective biography that is informative and fun to read. Krull has compiled an enjoyable assortment of sketches on 16 famous musicial giants that will have readers rushing to the stereo. In three or four pages each, such masters as Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky; popular composers such as Gilbert & Sullivan, Joplin, and Gershwin; and even folk hero Woody Guthrie are profiled. Gossipy, nitty-gritty personal habits and quirks are presented, along with a sense of appreciation for the musicians' lives and times. Hewitt's full-page caricatures are surrounded by important details. In subdued but striking colors, she captures the personality and temperament of these composers. This is a humorous, delightful, appreciative treat. While it doesn't have enough information for reports, it's a fine, personalized way to introduce children to the creators of great works that are a part of every music curriculum. The book has a helpful list of musical terms, an index, and an excellent bibliography. It belongs in every library and on every music teacher's desk. --Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; First American Edition edition (April 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152480102
• ISBN-13: 978-0152480103
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,401 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Believe It Or Not book for the musically inclined, February 22, 2004

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Most eccentrics do not become famous and most talented souls remain undiscovered. In "Lives of the Musicians", however, eccentrics with talent not only were discovered, but lauded long past their own lifetimes. Author Kathleen Krull has partnered with illustrator Kathryn Hewitt to create the world's first interesting children's collection of biographical information concerning some of the best composers ever to breathe.

The book spans the field of music from Verdi to Woody Guthrie. Each entry (there are sixteen in total) contains one picture and one description of the artist's life. These descriptions, as described by the author herself, "are offered now as a way of getting closer to the musicians - and the music". Every quirk and interesting tidbit is laid before the reader in the most wonderfully entrancing ways. Did you know that Bach once got into a knife fight in the streets? Or that Sir William Gilbert owned a bee named Buzfuz? It might be interesting to collect such fun but otherwise meaningless tidbits about composers' sometimes sordid lives, but Krull goes a step further. Facts included in each life explore the necessary details of their birth and death dates, how they were introduced to music, their lives, etc. Each section is also followed by information about their best-known works. What I liked about this book, however, was that the author did not choose to linger over their individual creations. A kid reading this book is not going to want to hear a long drawn out account of exactly why Chopin chose to write his Funeral March the way he did. You can find this information in a standard biography of Chopin's works. No, this is a book gives children the chance to acknowledge that all those hoity-toity names they've been forced to digest in elementary school music classes actually had interesting and sometimes wacky lives. Plus, the author is kind enough to include a section of musical terms, an index of composers, and a list meant, "For Further Reading ... And Listening", for those kids who wish to know more about these fascinating heroes of music.

Krull's method of writing is particularly adept when conveying irony. In her section devoted to Erik Satie (a perfect choice for this book, if ever there was one) she describes the composer's reaction to his own poverty.

"He once remarked, `It's odd. You find people in every bar willing to offer you a drink. No one ever dreams of presenting you with a sandwich'".

The next line then states off-handedly, "He died of cirrhosis of the liver at age fifty-nine". Kids may not get the joke, but I for one whole-heartedly approve of the author's choice to mention that fact after such a statement.

Because the book only contains sixteen composers, you can't help but wonder what the author's method of selection was. These composers certainly define the canon of Western music, with two women, an African-American, and a man of Jewish decent serving to bring a little diversity to the list. But why include Charles Ives and not Claude Debussy? Why Stravinsky and not Wagner? The only reasons I can find for some choices would be because some composers lived far more interesting lives than others. Certainly the range of oddities Krull has collected is fascinating.

This book is probably best for slightly older children. Krull is an honest biographer and does not skirt around the fact that Chopin and George Sand never married, or that Tchaikovsky was undoubtedly a homosexual. She does not fudge facts to make them more interesting or record hearsay and rumor (though she is prone to mentioning "legends", like that concerning Beethoven's death). All in all, you will not find a better or more entrancing way of introducing kids to the classical composers. And for those of you that wouldn't be able to tell Prokofiev from Stravinsky if you bumped into him in the street, let me recommend that you take a gander at this puppy as well. It's a heck of a lot of fun, and a hoot to boot.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lives of the Musicians-Good Times, Bad Times, and What the N, February 8, 2000

By A Customer

My granddaughter, age 9, said this: "I enjoyed this book so much that I checked it out of my school library 5 times. I am in ballet, and Tchaikovsky wrote our recital music. We are doing "Sleeping Beauty". I enjoyed reading about his life. Then I got to read about the other ones, too, and found them very interesting. I thought that Kathleen Krull described their lives as if each composer was telling about himself/herself. The illustrations told me alot about what their personalities were like. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys music."

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lives of the Musicians--Good Times, Bad Times, and What the, May 13, 2000

By A Customer

I first read lives of the musicians when I was about 7 yearsold or so. Then, I thought it was terrific. I still do. However, I amnow 12 years old, and now that I have paid more attention to it, I see several faults, but overall it is still a very good book. First of all, their choice of musicians is not the best. I would have recommended Debussy and Schubert, like the Kirkus Reviewer. Some of the composers I have hardly ever heard of, like Igor Stravinsky or Nadia Boulanger. And while Clara Schumann was a great pianist, I think they should have focused more on her husband, Robert, a prolific composer, whose works are among the very best. Also, some of the parts of the biographies are questionable. Frederic Chopin may not have actually been romantically involved with Aurore Dudevant (George Sand), but in love with the Countess Delphine Potocka. The book states that the Waltz in D-Flat, or Minute Waltz, was written for George Sand's dog, when in fact it was probably written for Potocka. However, the book was still very well written, and I enjoyed it, despite the possible mistakes. I recommend this book to anyone who likes music, classical or not. So sit back and enjoy!