Classical Music For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback)) (Paperback) By (author) David Pogue, By (author) Scott Speck

Full bibliographic data for Classical Music For Dummies

Title

Classical Music For Dummies

Authors and contributors

By (author) David Pogue, By (author) Scott Speck

Physical properties

Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 384
Width: 187 mm
Height: 233 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight: 582 g

Audience

General/trade
College/higher education

Language

English

ISBN

ISBN 13: 9780764550096
ISBN 10: 0764550098

Classifications

BISAC category code: MUS020000
BIC subject category: GBC
Dewey: 780
LC classification: MT6.P64C53
Nielsen BookScan Product Class: T1.7
BICMainSubject: AV
BISAC category code: MUS006000
Dewey: 781.68
BISAC category code: MUS001000

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons Inc

Imprint name

Hungry Minds Inc,U.S.

Publication date

04 September 1997

Publication City/Country

Foster City/US

Biographical note

David Pogue studied music at Yale and has been a conductor on Broadway. He is also the bestselling author of Macs For Dummies. Scott Speck is a faculty member of the American Symphony Orchestra League's National Conducting Workshops.

Main description

The more you know about classical music, the more you love it. Now, thanks to Classical Music For Dummies, you can achieve a whole new level of insight into both the composers and the compositions that have made classical music one of the great accomplishments of humankind.Classical Music For Dummies doesn't assume that you have a degree in musicology -- or even that you took a course in music appreciation. Rather, the multimedially gifted David Pogue and renowned conductor Scott Speck explain classical music in terms you can understand, and they describe musical elements so that you can hear them for yourself.A reference you can dip into at any point, Classical Music For Dummies covers such topics asThe various forms that classical music takes -- from symphonies to string quartetsWhat goes on behind the scenes and on stage to fill a concert hall with great classical musicHow to recognize, by sight and by sound, the many instruments that make up an orchestraThe nuts and bolts of classical music -- from rhythm to harmonic progressionPlus, Classical Music For Dummies comes complete with a CD containing over 60 minutes of masterpieces compiled especially for the book. The CD also includes a demo version of the Angel/EMI Classics For DummiesTM multimedia interface to try out on your Windows-based PC or Macintosh computer.

Back cover copy

Features tips on how to start a classical music collectionDiscover how much fun classical music can be!Are you baffled by Bach? Bewildered by Beethoven? Befuddled by Brahms? Relax! This friendly, funny, easy-to-understand guide gives you the score on composers, instruments, orchestras, concerts, recordings, and more - and shows you just how enjoyable and rewarding classical music can be.More than 60 minutes of music, including excerpts from Bach's Well Tempered Clavier- Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 - Brahms's Symphony No. 4 - Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 - Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, and more from recordings by Ian Hobson, pianist and conductor, Sinfonia da Camera and Sinfonia VarsoviaPlus MP3 versions of the excerpts you can play on your PC, Mac, or portable player Discover how to: Distinguish the different styles of classical musicAttend a live concert in styleKnow the instruments in an orchestraUnderstand rhythm, intervals, and other fundamentalsBuild a fabulous classical music library

Table of contents

Preface. Foreword. Introduction. Part I: Welcome to the Classics. Chapter 1: Prying Open the Classical Music Oyster. Chapter 2: The Entire History of Music in 80 Pages. Chapter 3: How to Spot a Sonata. Part II: Listen Up! Chapter 4: Dave 'n' Scott's E-Z Concert Survival Guide. Chapter 5: A Spin through Your Free CD. Part III: A Field Guide to the Orchestra. Chapter 6: Keyboards & Co. Chapter 7: Strings Attached. Chapter 8: Gone with the Woodwinds. Chapter 9: The Top (And Bottom) Brass. Chapter 10: Percussion's Greatest Hits. Part IV: Backstage in the Composer's Brain. Chapter 11: The Dreaded Music Theory Chapter. Chapter 12: Once More, with Feeling: Tempo, Dynamics, and Orchestration. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 13: The Ten Most Common Misconceptions about Classical Music. Chapter 14: The Ten Best Musical Terms for Cocktail Parties. Chapter 15: Ten Great Chamber Music Pieces. Chapter 16: Ten Great Classical Music Jokes. Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Go Beyond This Book. Part VI: Appendixes. Appendix A: Starting a Classical Music Collection. List 1: Old Favorites. List 2: MILD on the Taste Meter. List 3: MEDIUM on the Taste Meter. List 4: MEDIUM HOT on the Taste Meter. List 5: HOT on the Taste Meter. Appendix B: Classical Music Timeline. Appendix C: Glossary Index. About the CD. Book Registration Information.