Classical Classics

ISBN: 1467958395

Author: Nielsen, Ed

Condition: New

Product Description Classical Classics is a compilation of CD reviews and fascinating facts relating to the composers and musicians on those CDs. This book does not spend any time on lesser recordings, but you really dont need that information anyway. What you want to know is, Whats the best music available and who made the best recording of that music? Those are the questions Classical Classics answers, and it does so for over 120 albums.In simple, understandable language this book will tell you which recordings are the best and why they are. In addition, youll get some captivating information about the composers and musicians on those recordings, as well as the stories behind the music itself. To top it off, Classical Classics includes several irreverent yet accurate biographies of some of historys great composers.If youre lucky enough to have your classical music collection completed, youll still want this book for the intriguing details it provides involving each composer, musician, conductor, and orchestra. Lets face facts, these are some of the most brilliant and unconventional characters in history; some of their accomplishments and quirks are incredible. On that level, Classical Classics reads like a novel. As a reference for buying CDs, this book could become your Bible.Whether youre a longtime classical aficionado or a relative tyro, or whether you have a doctorate in music or dont know a quarter-note from a quarter-horse, Classical Classics will clear up all the fog when it comes to buying classical CDs.Along with reliable CD recommendations, Classical Classics provides you the stories behind the music, the composers, and the people who made the recordings. For example, youll read about:-The legends behind the Moonlight Sonata.-The world-class conductor who hated to conduct.-The pianist who absentmindedly hummed along while playingin the recording studio!-The pianist who got up off his deathbed to perform a final recital.-The composer who would agonize for years before releasing a composition. -The composer who loved to compose but hated writing down the music.-The composer who could compose one movement in his head while writing down another.-The composer who wrote 80 years worth of music but only lived to age 65.-The composer who wrote over 2,000 major pieces.-The composer who wrote a set of pieces, one in every conceivable key, sharp/flat, and major/minor combination.-The orchestra who recorded an average of an album a week for 40 years.-The orchestra who recorded classical music as well as some written by Jimi Hendrix.Classical Classics is the book for starting or expanding your classical music library, or for expanding your knowledge of classical music in general. From Kirkus Reviews Selecting over 125 of his favorite pieces of music from the baroque, classical and romantic periods, as well as his favorite recordings of them, music enthusiast Nielsen (Warriors, 2009) has compiled an encyclopedic resource for people looking to expand their music collections. Each one-to-two-page entry, in addition to introducing the composition and recording, offers some biographical information about the composer, conductor and musicians, interspersed with Nielsens corny but affable humor (he cant pass on a good Baroque/broke pun). Nielsen describes his musical cup of tea as light, lively, and very melodic, which does influence the tenor of his recommendations; ardent appreciators of contemporary classical, for instance, are likely to differ in opinion on what constitutes the best, though Nielsen is always forthcoming with his personal biases. While greats such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven deservedly have quite a few works featured, Nielsen also includes music by Albinoni, Fesca and the lesser-known Haydn brother, all refreshing suggestions from the canon. In an attempt to be comprehensive, Nielsen provides information in each entry about the manufacturer, price and online purchasing of