
The Story of Classical Music
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Narrated by:
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Marin Alsop
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By:
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Darren Henley
The lives and music of the great composers of classical music unfold in this entertaining account, introduced by the conductor and musical personality Marin Alsop. In 1200 years, classical music grew from the chanting of medieval monks through the symphonies of Beethoven and the grand operas of Wagner to the huge orchestral sound-world of the 21st century, with its electronics and its film music. In her easy-going style, Marin Alsop paints vivid portraits of over 90 composers, each one illustrated with some of his, or her, most famous music.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2004 Darren Henley (P)2004 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.Listeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
- Audie Award Winner, Original Work and Achievement in Production, 2005
"Alsop's easygoing approach works well as she serves as a welcoming tour guide offering fun facts and interesting biographical sketches for listeners." (Publishers Weekly)
"This charming compilation is cheerfully hosted by the clear and friendly voice of Marin Alsop, who walks young (and curious adult) listeners through an engaging history of classical music." (AudioFile)
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Made for kids but we liked it also.
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Interesting, informative, easy
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Entertaining and informative
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A great listen
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the story of classical music
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Great for 8 to 14 year olds
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I appreciated the author's efforts to tie in other historical events of the time to give some context. I particularly learned a lot about more modern composers, who will, undoubtedly, become more well known as they start to die off.
Alsop is one of my classical music heroes (she used to be our little city's conductor!), and she has done great things for popularizing it and helping kids and adults understand it, so I applaud this effort. However, though she is well-spoken and insightful and in every way a wonderful person, she is not a professional narrator and by the end I felt like she was just reading along, hoping it would be over soon. Her intonation got more predictable, and the phrasing less meaningful, which will not be helpful to young listeners' comprehension.
I am totally ready for a grown up version now. For kids, it might be a lot to absorb just listening passively. If I was listening to this with kids, I would listen to a section then stop and go find some longer recordings or a picture of the composer or something to tie it to. Maybe draw a timeline on a big piece of paper.
I had to Grit my Teeth, but I Learned Quite A Bit
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GREAT job! I just wanted more! :)
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This program concentrates more on the historical settings of the composers, not the musical composition or theory. It is also easy to tell that this program was designed as an introduction for students (probably middle to high school age). I didn't mind that, some people may. Listen to the audio sample and you'll quickly see if this is the type of book you're looking for.
A Good Basic Introduction
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The only other criticism we have is that one point, the narrator mentions Rimsky-Korsakov as the composer of "Pictures at an Exhibition," which is incorrect. Even so, the book is highly recommended.
Appeals to wide age range
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