Why Beethoven Threw the Stew

Author: Steven Isserlis
Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 0571268676
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 166

Book Description
In Why Beethoven Threw the Stew, renowned cellist Steven Isserlis sets out to pass on to children a wonderful gift given to him by his own cello teacher - the chance to people his own world with the great composers by getting to know them as friends. Witty and informative at the same time, Isserlis introduces us to six of his favourite composers: the sublime genius Bach, the quicksilver Mozart, Beethoven with his gruff humour, the shy Schumann, the prickly Brahms and that extraordinary split personality, Stravinsky. Isserlis brings the composers alive in an irresistible manner that can't fail to catch the attention of any child whose ear has been caught by any of the music described, or anyone entering the world of classical music for the first time. The lively black and white line illustrations provide a perfect accompaniment to the text, and make this book attractive and accessible for children to enjoy on their own or share with an adult.

Why Handel Waggled His Wig

Author: Steven Isserlis
Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 0571268684
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 268

Book Description
The eagerly awaited follow-up to the best-selling Why Beethoven Threw the Stew. What did Haydn's wife use for curling-paper for her hair? What did Schubert do with his old spectacles case? Why was Dvorák given a butcher's apron when he was a little boy? Why did Tchaikovsky spit on a map of Europe? Why did Fauré find a plate of spinach on his face? And why did Handel waggle his wig? In Why Beethoven Threw the Stew, renowned cellist Steven Isserlis set out to pass on to children a wonderful gift given to him by his own cello teacher - the chance to people his own world with the great composers by getting to know them as friends. In his new book he draws us irresistibly into the world of six more favourite composers, bringing them alive in a manner that cannot fail to catch the imagination of children encountering classical music for the first time. Once again the text is packed with facts, dates and anecdotes, interspersed with lively black-and-white line illustrations, making this an attractive and accessible read for children to enjoy on their own or share with an adult. 'If Why Beethoven Threw the Stew does not turn your child into a music lover, the chances are nothing will.' Daily Mail

Lives of the Musicians

Author: Kathleen Krull
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780152480103
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 108

Book Description
What are musicians really like?

The Bach Cello Suites

Author: Steven Isserlis
Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 0571366260
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 163

Book Description
A unique Companion to J S Bach's iconic Cello Suites from internationally-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis. 'Isserlis is the master of the material, yet always able to make it accessible . . . It is an absolute treat to be led to this sublime music by such an ethusiastic expert.' MICHAEL PALIN 'The book I've always wanted: an accessible, eloquent guide to the world's greatest - and maybe most elusive - pieces of music. And written by the man I'd want to tell me about it. This is such a delight.' DERREN BROWN 'Illuminating.' OBSERVER 'Striking.' THE SPECTATOR Bach's six Cello Suites are among the most cherished of all the works in the classical music literature. Shrouded in mystery - they were largely unknown for some two hundred years after their composition - they have acquired a magical aura which continues to attract and fascinate audiences the world over. To cellists they represent a musical bible, to listeners, scarcely less. Through what are on the surface simple dance suites, Bach takes us on a spiritual journey like no other, leading us from joy to tragedy, concluding in jubilation, even triumph. Award-winning international cellist Steven Isserlis, whose recent recording of the Suites met with the highest critical acclaim, goes deep into that emotional journey, bringing to bear all his many years' experience of performing the Suites. His book is intended as a rewarding companion for all music lovers, ranging from the casual listener to the performing musician. By offering his own very personal observations of the music, Isserlis's aim is to take the reader further into the world of the Suites in order to enhance the experience of hearing some of the greatest works ever composed. Praise for Steven Isserlis' BACH: THE CELLO SUITES 'The most wonderful cello-playing, surely among the most consistently beautiful to have been heard in this demanding music.' GRAMOPHONE 'Isserlis has done the impossible. He has given the listener something new, and indeed something outstandingly good . . . This recording can sit proudly on the shelf alongside the great recordings of Casals and Rostropovich. In fact, I may find myself picking it up as the favourite.' BBC RADIO 3

Secret Lives of Great Composers

Author: Elizabeth Lunday
Publisher: Quirk Books
ISBN: 1594747466
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Book Description
Discover little-known stories from music history—including murder, riots, and heartbreak—in this entertaining tour through the fascinating (and surprising) lives of classical music masters With outrageous anecdotes about everyone from Gioachino Rossini (draft-dodging womanizer) to Johann Sebastian Bach (jailbird) to Richard Wagner (alleged cross-dresser), Secret Lives of Great Composers recounts the seamy, steamy, and gritty history behind the great masters of international music. Here, you’ll learn that Edward Elgar dabbled with explosives; that John Cage was obsessed with fungus; that Berlioz plotted murder; and that Giacomo Puccini stole his church’s organ pipes and sold them as scrap metal so he could buy cigarettes. This is one music history lesson you’ll never forget!

Robert Schumann's Advice to Young Musicians

Author: Robert Schumann
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022648288X
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 113

Book Description
The great composer’s “superb” advice on playing, practicing, composing, and being a musician, with additional comments by renowned cellist Steven Isserlis (Times Literary Supplement). If everybody were to play first violin, we could not have an orchestra. Originally published in1850, Advice to Young Musicians: Musical Rules for Home and in Life offered composer Robert Schumann’s combination of practical advice and poetic words of wisdom for young people beginning their musical education. Presented in aphorisms and short paragraphs, the book’s insights remain as valuable today as when they were written. Recognizing the continued resonance of Schumann’s words, world-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis, himself a writer of children’s books and many articles for young musicians, set out to rescue the work from history. Here, he revisits Schumann’s work and contributes his own contemporary counsel for musicians and music lovers. For this edition, Isserlis retranslated Schumann’s text and arranged it into four thematic sections: “On being a musician,” “Playing,” “Practicing,” and “Composing.” Each page is decoratively designed, and accompanying Schumann’s original quotations are Isserlis’s thoughtful and often humorous glosses. The book concludes with Isserlis’s own reflections on his life as a musician and performer: “My Own Bits of Advice (For What They’re Worth).” The result is a unique and thought-provoking book that will be treasured by aspiring musicians of any age.

Stories that Stick

Author: Valerie Marsh
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 100

Book Description

Love Goes to Buildings on Fire

Author: Will Hermes
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0374533547
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 385

Book Description
This title provides a group portrait of some of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, including Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Grandmaster Flash and Bob Dylan.

Boston

Author: Deirdre Wilson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781894222419
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 242

Book Description
Whether you're a parent, an educator or a tourist, if you're caring for children between the ages of 1 and 12, this book is the perfect answer to that all-too-common question: "What's there to do today?"

Sophie's World

Author: Jostein Gaarder
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 1466804270
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 599

Book Description
A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print. One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning—but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.