A Young Person's Guide to Music - Hardcover

Ruders, Poul; Ardley, Neil

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0756605407 ISBN 13: 9780756605407

Publisher: DK Children, 2004

Synopsis

A combination package that makes music accessible and fun includes an original fifteen-track CD and backup text to demonstrate sounds of instruments and musical examples as well as illustrated timelines that chart the lives of famous composers and performers and pinpoint important musical developments.

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-9?This relatively unique interactive guide to the orchestra is a combination of book and compact disk. The CD features a new work by the Dutch composer Poul Ruders called Concerto in Pieces, a variation on the "The Witch's Chorus" from Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. The lively piece is first performed in its entirety, and then taken apart instrument by instrument. Symbols in the text show readers when to turn on the CD player and hear the particular instrument shown on that page; there is a helpful musical index to the CD, as well. The text itself has facts on the orchestra as a whole, the conductor, composer, and each instrument. General information on how each group of instruments works, be it brass or strings, is provided. The full-color photographs and reproductions are of high quality. A history section features a timeline, names of musicians and composers, definitions of musical forms with examples, and a glossary. Overall, this is an attractive addition. However, there might be a problem determining where to place it within the library, and it will not be as useful if the CD becomes separated from the book.?Robin Works Davis, Hurst Public Library, TX
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. With a broad theme of classical music and a specific focus on one performance that can be heard on the accompanying compact disc, this book offers music students a range of options. The book's first part, "Making Music," briefly discusses each instrument and places it within its family (stringed, woodwind, brass instruments, etc.). Clear photographs show musicians playing the instruments, and diagrams show how the sounds are created. Readers are directed to play a track on the enclosed CD to hear each instrument played. The second part of the book surveys the history of classical music, which is divided into periods such as ancient, baroque, and modern. Small photos or artworks accompany short descriptions of significant musical events. The music on the compact disc, which fits into the cover of this large-format book, is Poul Ruders' Concerto in Pieces, composed with 10 variations on a theme from Purcell, each highlighting a different section of the orchestra. BBC Orchestra conductor Andrew Davis then discusses the work, illustrating ideas with excerpts from the piece. A rich resource for young people who want to understand orchestral music. Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: DK Children
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0756605407
• ISBN 13: 9780756605407
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 80