- ISBN13: 9780449910429
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
MAKE A SOUND INVESTMENT IN CLASSICAL MUSIC
Who are the ten most important classical composers? Who in the world was Palestrina? Why did Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” cause a riot? Which five of each important composer’s works should you buy? What is a concerto and how does it differ from a sonata?
Maybe you don’t know the answers to these questions; author Phil Goulding certainly didn’t. When Goulding first tried to learn about classical music, he found himsel… More >>
#1 by E. Brandstaetter on April 22, 2010 - 10:59 pm
How much can I trust an author who does not know the nationalities of the composers? To be correct: Mozart (on the Austrian coins), Haydn, Schubert, Strauss, Mahler, and Bruckner were Austrians. Beethoven and Brahms worked there (Vienna). Sorry, one star.
Rating: 1 / 5
#2 by J. Boksan on April 23, 2010 - 1:41 am
As I was going over the information in the first chapter, I noticed a lot of mistakes. There was false information citing the time periods. The romantic period is from 1800 to 1914… that is not what the book states. Also it is a common fact among music scholars that Beethoven is a “hindge” composer. He is considered both a classic and romantic composer. Most of his best known works were composed in the romantic error. I understand that that it is an “idiot’s guide” to classical music, but there isn’t all truthful information. I also must gripe about the ranking system. It is unethical in artistic philosophical view to rank composers. What out there states that Beethoven’s piano work is greater than Chopin. That is one person’s view. Also how can one rank shostakovich and not rank Kabalevsky. The ranking system is flawed, and one that does not know much about these composers should create their own ideas. Please do not go by what the author has layed out. Make your own jugdements. I cannot say much more, because I did not go on reading after this information came about. I am a music major, and take great pride in my music history knowlege, so do not read it just because of my comments. In the first chapter, there was some good information.
Rating: 1 / 5
#3 by BigBadZep on April 23, 2010 - 1:56 am
To sum it up and repeat what others have already said, Goulding’s work here is essentially like every music appreciation textbook I’ve ever read (perhaps slightly less dry) without the musical analyzation or description, and without the introductory cd sampler. It’s fine but hardly ideal for classical music novices who know little to nothing going in, and for those who get enthused about reading page upon page of of lists and categorzized works without much of an idea what any of it ultimately sounds like.
Not to mention I find his list stifling, assertations like “Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven CANNOT be replaced in the top 3″ laughable, and the obvious bias against post-WWII art music disappointing. Like most intro to classical music books, the author suggests keeping an open mind about 20th century music on the one hand to prevent being accused of a bias, but on the other hand the undertones in the writing suggest anything past the mid-point of the 20th century is no fun to listen to and too bizarre to be taken seriously. Which is an opinion, sure, but not one that should be forced upon novices who deserve the right to make up their own minds without any pre-concieved notions of what kind of classical music is worth their time. I mean, maybe I am the only one who thinks it, but Goulding’s inclusion of someone like Bizet on the list for ONE opera and his omission of the likes of Schoenberg, Cage, Xenakis, Varese, Reich, Stockhausen and others was a horrible mistake and a grave underestimation of these composer’s influence on the music and musicians who came after.
Rating: 1 / 5
#4 by James Hammons on April 23, 2010 - 4:23 am
I bought this book when I started my own “project” to learn about classical music a few years ago. Mr. Goulding’s own motivations sounded a lot like my own — an admitted amateur seeking to explore great music. The book is a dud, though. Mr. Goulding flaunts an almost cynical populism throughout the book. His Top 50 list (and many other lists contained in the book) are arbitrary. His writing style did little to keep my interest and he really makes no attempt to write knowledgeably about the music itself. If you’re just getting into classical music and are confused about where to start, try Ted Libbey’s “NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection” and the “Rough Guide to Classical Music.” (There’s a separate Rough Guide to Opera, which I haven’t seen.) These books are written for the curious beginner by people who know about music and know how to write about it, and the authors respect their readers enough not to insult their intelligence. I wonder if Mr. Goulding expected anyone ever to read his book.
Rating: 1 / 5
#5 by Anonymous on April 23, 2010 - 7:05 am
I picked this book up a little over a year ago and it has served to open up a whole new world to me. The writing is unpretentious and accessible – unlike the NPR guide. My main criticism of the book is the absence of Sergei Rachmoninoff – this results in the book losing two stars in its rating.
Rating: 3 / 5