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Classical Music for Dummies
 
 
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Classical Music for Dummies (Paperback)

~ David Pogue (Author), Scott Speck (Author), Glenn Dicterow (Foreword) "The world of classical music is a place where idealism reigns, where good conquers evil and love conquers all, where you always get a second..." (more)
Key Phrases: effective composers, sound shields, brass players, Richard Strauss, Joseph Haydn, Gustav Mahler (more...)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)

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Customers buy this book with Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters (Bright Ideas for Learning) by MaryAnn F. Kohl

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In a time when school music classes (if they exist at all) teach their students the finer points of the themes from The Twilight Zone and Jaws instead of real music; when classical radio stations are converted to Lite Rock or switched to a "top 100" classical jukebox format; and when even churches increasingly favor banal "Jesus Is My Boyfriend"-style slop instead of Bach, Mozart, and Vaughn Williams, classical music may legitimately be seen as an endangered cultural species. Enter Scott Speck and David Pogue, who take out the unnecessary mystery, and offer an easy-to-swallow quickie education, ranging from Gregorian chants to contemporary composers such as John Adams and John Corigliano. If you can't tell an oboe from a bassoon, there's also a dandy guide to the instruments of the orchestra, and once you're through that information you'll know the difference between a concerto and a sonata. Best of all is the introduction to music theory, which actually makes a daunting subject seem easy. It's all supported by a helpful enhanced compact disc (it works in your CD-ROM drive; it plays on your stereo's CD player) containing more than an hour of representative musical tidbits from good EMI recordings. Although the tone is unremittingly flippant and the jokes are, for the most part, pretty bad, Classical Music for Dummies is one of the better works in this series, and really does provide a useful reference for a subject too often seen as arcane.

From Library Journal

Though musicians and other music lovers continue to lament the lack of classical music enthusiasts, their concern may have diminished somewhat over the last 25 years. The "Hooked on Classics" recording series, Peter Schickele (a.k.a. P.D.Q. Bach), the Three Tenors, and the movie Shine are but a few of the media phenomena that have popularized classical music. Lately, some authors have taken a lighthearted approach to the genre, hoping to make it less intimidating; Barry Scherer's delightful Bravo! A Guide to Opera for the Perplexed (LJ 11/15/96) is an example not to be overlooked. It does appear, however, that with these two books from IDG's ever-expanding "For Dummies" series, classical music has finally arrived. Orchestrator, synthesizer programmer, music copyist, and vocal arranger Pogue and symphony conductor Speck have collaborated to make musical facts fun to peruse. In some cases, the information may seem oversimplified, but novices will come away with a fairly good idea of the important composers, the main periods of music, the instruments, the conductors, the artists, when to applaud at a concert or opera, and even what to wear to a performance. Icons throughout pinpoint tips, advanced information, listening guides, when to use the accompanying CDs, and stories to use in conversations. Both books are recommended for public libraries.?Kathleen Sparkman, Baylor Univ. Lib., Waco, Tex.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: For Dummies (August 21, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0764550098
  • ISBN-13: 978-0764550096
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,344 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #10 in  Books > Entertainment > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Appreciation
    #18 in  Books > Entertainment > Music > History & Criticism
    #51 in  Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Classical

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Customer Reviews

40 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (40 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars da-da-da-DUMB!, November 19, 2003
By Robin Rheaume (Singapore) - See all my reviews
I picked this book up because I was looking for a CD-book combo that would give me some good tips on the art of listening. This did that and much more. The book is extremely comprehensive and systematic in its coverage of classical music. The authors provide a lot of information simply and efficiently so that within a few pages, the reader is no longer such a dummy. This book goes beyond an academic explanation of the subject to being a real "how to" - how to listen, how to prepare, how to behave at a concert, how to get good tickets on the cheap... No stone is left unturned. The only drawback is that in an effort to dumb down the book, they inject corny jokes into almost every sentence. In small doses this is OK but, depending on your tastes in reading material, THIS GETS VERY ANNOYING after a few pages! Despite this drawback I pressed on because the content under the jokes was too good to miss.
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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Dave 'N' Scott's Classical Music Intro-Rama, January 13, 1998
By Arlin Rogers (Beverly, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
In the school of the "--For Dummies" introductions to basically every topic in life, David Pogue is the class clown. I became acquainted with his breezy style in the "Macs for Dummies" series. Here he leaves the dry world of computers for the even drier world of classical music and succeeds in making it accessible and fun. Along with Scott Speck, he tackles topics like the entire history of music in 80 pages, how to upgrade your seat in a live concert for free, and why the shoes of brass players tend to stick to the stage. I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels there's more to classical music than the movie "Amadeus". The tone in "Classical Music for Dummies" is refreshingly irreverent. They even have a little "snob alert" icon to prepare you for the blusters of philharmonic poseurs. Be warned though that the constant stream of one-liners in the book tend to miss as often as hit. One other word of warning: forget the video portion of the attached CD-ROM. It's worthless and actually corrupted some of my computer files. Just listen to the CD through your stereo and follow along in Chapter 5 of the book. After reading the book and listening to the CD I'm fired up to broaden my classical music CD collection and attend more live symphonies - upgrading my seat for free, of course.
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Unpacking Delightful World of Classical Music, May 5, 2003
By rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   
Many avenues of culture are closed deliberately to people by insiders who use the jargon of the trade with sophistication and snobbery to raise themselves above the poor unknowing multitudes who have not a clue what is being said.

Here, authors do a credible and entertaining aid of unpacking the wonderful world of classical music. As one internet classical station puts it, "Classical music without the attitude."

Here, although they do make light of it, it aids the uninformed what is at the heart of things classical. From different periods, to how to attend a concert, to beginning a CD collection, to understanding some theory, this is just excellent entrance.

Especially fascinating are the peeks into this world, e.g. the audition of the flute players, divorced and their trials at securing a major symphony chair.

The interactive materials with CD make their points well, and aid many in enjoying more fully this delightful world.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!
The authors were informative, and kept it interesting and real, throughout.
They used just enough humor, interspersed with many facts, which prompted me to
either look... Read more
Published 1 month ago by N. Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly surprised
This was one of those I sort of HAD to read ,and expected to be boring. But I learned more about music in the process, not just classical music. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Staker

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good
These same authors wrote Opera for Dummies, a book I enjoyed very much. So I gave this one a try too. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Lindamood

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended
After liking classical music for 30 years, this book has made listening to and understanding classical music even more enjoyable.
Published 2 months ago by Harvey E. Colwell

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best dummies books ever
I've read many of the dummies books and Classical Music for Dummies is now my favorite. Prior to that, DOS for dummies was the best that I had read and that was back in 1998. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Brian Pozar

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
This book is perfect for beginners who enjoy listening to classical music and trying to understand it. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Emre Firat

3.0 out of 5 stars A bit too sardonic???
I basically enjoy the "Dummies" books... I find the information often extremely insightful and helpful. It also is a great pleasure to order the books through amazon. Read more
Published 20 months ago by The Counselor

5.0 out of 5 stars classical music appreciation and theory
This book is incredibly well written. It was totally absorbing, entertaining and informative. By the time I finished it, I felt like I had earned a degree in classical music... Read more
Published on September 4, 2007 by L. Osterweil

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
My husband had never been exposed to classical music and when we got married, he wanted to be able to carry on a conversation with the rest of my family. Read more
Published on August 23, 2007 by Sandie Eckenrode

1.0 out of 5 stars humor overpowers the content
You have to be careful with the Dummies series. Some authors use humor with discretion, others, as in this case, lard on so much humor that it gets in the way of learning and... Read more
Published on August 9, 2007 by C. Brown

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