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musiclover
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« Reply #15 on: November 12, 2005, 10:26:57 AM » |
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I've just read 'Bluff Your Way in Music' - seems a good plan to me!
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Nimrod79
Jr. Member
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Posts: 74
I would be a llama
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« Reply #16 on: November 15, 2005, 01:26:32 PM » |
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I would have to rank Ethan Mordden's "A Guide to Orchestral Music" as the best guide out there. It focuses exclusively on orchestral music (so not opera or choral music), but provides a highly readable, accessible introduction to classical music, providing simple, straight forward overviews of almost every major orchestral work written between 1700 and 1980. It also has an enjoyable section on symphony form and performing styles.
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Decomposer
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« Reply #17 on: November 15, 2005, 01:31:31 PM » |
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Jan Swafford's Vintage Guide to Classical Music is definitely one of the better ones, and I've read a few, if you need a beginner's guide to classical music. For recordings, Third Ear seems pretty good.
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jwinter
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« Reply #18 on: November 15, 2005, 01:39:00 PM » |
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I've recently had fun checking out the new All-Music Guide to Classical. Neat book. Its main draw is that it covers not just composers and their works but performers, conductors, orchestras, musical terms, etc. as well, with a few recommeded recordings for each. So under "B" you can read about Beethoven's Moonlight sonata, a short bio of Sir Thomas Beecham, history of the Berlin Philharmonic, etc. It has brief a musical analyses for most of the basic repetoire and more (on par with decent CD liner notes). It is a HUGE book, in tiny type, enough to keep a new (or experienced) classical fan busy for ages. Probably a great stocking stuffer, provided you have a VERY big stocking.  |
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The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.
-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
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Decomposer
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« Reply #19 on: November 15, 2005, 01:40:47 PM » |
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Sounds good, J., but All-Music isn't known for their accuracy.
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jwinter
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« Reply #20 on: November 15, 2005, 01:43:01 PM » |
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Sounds good, J., but All-Music isn't known for their accuracy.
Hmm, I'll keep that in mind. I haven't noticed any whoppers yet, but I haven't been checking... |
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The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.
-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
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Decomposer
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« Reply #21 on: November 15, 2005, 01:45:29 PM » |
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I'm basing this on their site and some of their other books of course. The one you speak of may be fine. I might even pick it up! |
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DanielFullard
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« Reply #22 on: November 15, 2005, 06:11:02 PM » |
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Ok thanks for all the help...
I already had the Penguin guide but since doing this thread I picked up the gramaphone guide and Michael Walsh's Who's Afraid of Classical Music?
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musiclover
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« Reply #23 on: November 16, 2005, 01:24:06 AM » |
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Music - A Crash Course by Marcus Weeks is good because it gives facts on what was happening at the time that a composer was about e.g. 1711 English trumpeter and lutanist John Shore invents the tuning fork. And 1748 - London physician John Fothergill's 'Acoount of the Sore Throat Attented with Ulcers' is the first description of diphtheria. It also gives definitions, overviews and facts about composers.
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mamabookworm
Jr. Member
Offline
Posts: 63
viola mama
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« Reply #24 on: November 19, 2005, 11:00:18 AM » |
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For the raw beginner, I highly recommend (with trepidation that I'll get laughed off the list) Classical Music for Dummies. It's hardly comprehensive or authoritative, but that's what makes it good for the rank beginner. Like so many "Dummies" books, it iintroduces an intimidating topic with humor and a light touch. Most importantly, it provides a listening CD--not the highest quality, certainly, but accompanied by text so that the listener can hear, for once, exactly where that second theme appears in the allegro movement of so-and-so's symphony.
It's not a "guide" as in a list of "the best" or "most important" recordings, and it should be only a starting point to further exploration. But for someone who has been intimidated by other "introductions" to classical music, it may be a friendlier companion.
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DanielFullard
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« Reply #25 on: November 19, 2005, 08:50:21 PM » |
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Michael Walsh's Who's Afraid of Classical Music? A highly arbitrary, thoroughly opinionated guide to listening to and enjoying symphony, opera, and chamber music should finally arrive today so if it does Ill get cracking with it
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DanielFullard
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« Reply #26 on: November 19, 2005, 09:33:12 PM » |
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Michael Walsh's Who's Afraid of Classical Music? A highly arbitrary, thoroughly opinionated guide to listening to and enjoying symphony, opera, and chamber music should finally arrive today so if it does Ill get cracking with it
That didnt arrive but this did...  After a quick skim over it I think its going to be very helpful |
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DavidRoss
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« Reply #27 on: November 19, 2005, 11:25:01 PM » |
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That didnt arrive but this did... Along this line I enjoy Steinberg's The Symphony and The Concerto. |
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Truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it; but, in the end; there it is. - Winston Churchill
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SonicMan
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« Reply #28 on: November 20, 2005, 12:48:02 AM » |
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Along this line I enjoy Steinberg's The Symphony and The Concerto.
Agree w/ DavidRoss - I have the three Steinberg books below - just bought the Choral Masterworks, but have not looked at it much at the moment (published in 2005 in hardback; others in paperback - or check your local library).     |
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mamabookworm
Jr. Member
Offline
Posts: 63
viola mama
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« Reply #29 on: November 20, 2005, 05:19:41 AM » |
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I really appreciate this thread. Could it be made a sticky thread? It seems to me that many newcomers to the site would be looking for just this sort of advice.
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