Classical Music by Phil G. Goulding Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Classical Music
Book Review: Your second book of classical music
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a small treasure, especialy if you are appreciating classical music but want to learn more about it. The book tells the intriguing life stories of 50 composers (some would argue if all are realy 'great', but everybody will find some of their liking) and recommends various levels of building a classical library (starting with 5 recordings and up to 20 recommended recording - hence the title reference to 1000 recording). You can use the book to find more composers you may like, more recordings of your favourite composers or just as a good reading book. Highly recommendedBook Review: an excellent book for laymen
Summary: 5 Stars
Although interested, I had always been intimidated by the world of classical music. Lots of books seemed to me just pile up tons of terminologies to frighten laymen outside the door of this whole new world. But no longer after i got this book last month. The book is well organized and words plain enough but not without humor. Each composer is written in some detail, their lives, their compositions and styles, and more. And each is followed by a starter kit which is useful enough if you are not familiar with classical music.
about Sergei Rachmoninoff, he is mentioned briefly, as Anton Bruckner's substitute in the list.
In one word, with this book in hand, i am confident enough that someday i will also be one of the many classical music fans.
Book Review: just silly lists
Summary: 1 Stars
I'm hoping to learn to appreciate classical music, not merely to listen and nod, but to understand. As well as I can anyway!
I bought this book on accident. I researched books on classical music and decided to buy Jan Swafford's "Vintage Guide to Classical Music." Then I procrastinated for a few months, forgot which book I'd selected; when I came back to buy it I didn't look carefully and strangely I confused it with this book!
I really liked this book for about two months. It helped me pick out some pieces of music that I hadn't heard of, but that are considered to be great. So I bought some good CDs. But that's all it gave me.
To be fair, this book is basically what it claims to be: a list of the 50 greatest composers according to Goulding, and brief biographies of them. It's not as funny as it claims to be, but the biographical information is good enough for starters.
There's very, very little commentary on the music, or the styles of music. It says a certain piece of music is great. Then, if you're like me, you listen to it 4-5 times, and think, well, it's ok I guess. And repeat, with a new great piece of music. Would you do a routine like this with anything except classical music?
That's where a better introduction to the music would say something about the key works! Hey, listen for counterpoint in the duets! Something like that, at least. But that is a much harder project for the writer.
But hey, this book is fun, with a lot of nonsense about listing that's sure to help you if you're having a conversation with people who try to identify the "top 5 romantic composers" or whatever. But if you want to understand something, anything about the music, you need more than a list.
I'm not even a fan of the lists. Is it really sensible that a Faure or Rameau "Starter Kit" includes 5 pieces of music, the same number as the Mozart "Starter Kit?" Of course not. A starter kit for one is his "Requiem," for the second is "Hippolyte et Aricie," and for the third includes probably ten works. Goulding acknowledges that it's ludicrous--which amounts to acknowledging that his starter kits (and the rest of his listing apparati) are not really that helpful. Much better guides exist, not bound by a silly "top five" and "top ten" format, to help people start selecting and listening to music.
As for the discography--this book is out of date, but so is just about everything else! If you're a beginner like me, buy Naxos whenever possible, unless money really is no object. (200 CDs or so is no mean investment!) My very knowledgeable friends assure me that the quality is great. Their only drawback is that people who shun bargains can look at your CD tower smugly. Fine with me!
The main book I'd recommend is Swafford's "Vintage Guide to Classical Music."
Three other books that I'd recommend ahead of this one are Plotkin's "Classical Music 101" which really is designed to help you begin to appreciate the music (not so much to fit in at the proverbial cocktail parties), Craig Wright's "Listening to Music" (the first book I read, and I'm glad it was; it's pricey b/c of the CDs but they're worth it), and Dubal's "Essential Canon of Classical Music," which is a much longer and less silly list of major composers and their work, with a few more (but not many) notes on their music. If you're trying to build a library for decoration (i.e. that looks good, even if you don't have any idea who Enescu is), Dubal's is the book for you.
Also, if you've never gone to a concert, or couldn't tell an oboe from a cello, don't underestimate the "for dummies" or "complete idiot's guide" books. I wasn't in that situation, but if I had been, that's where I'd have started.
Book Review: very helpful for beginners!
Summary: 4 Stars
I knew next to nothing about classical music, but wanted to add some to my music collection. Browsing through the classical section in stores got overwhelming in a hurry. This book helped me a great deal to narrow down what CDs to look for. It's easy to read and understand, includes bios of the 50 most popular/important composers and which of their works are the most well-known, popular, or historically important. Also some suggestions on CDs to buy for various works. You don't need to read the chapters on musical history or instruments, but they are interesting and informative.This same author has a similar book on opera, too. I'm not as interested in building a collection of opera, but I plan on buying the book just to read and educate myself a little more on opera.
Highly recommended as an easy introduction to classical music, or if you're looking to build or expand your classical libary.