Bach, Beethoven and the Grrrls (Paperback or Softback)

It’s a Grrrl!

David W. Barber has delighted readers all around the world with Accidentals on Purpose, When the Fat Lady Sings, Getting a Handel on Messiah and other internationally bestselling books of musical/historical humor. Like his popular Bach, Beethoven and the Boys, which chronicles the lives of many of the great (and some of the not-so-great) composers of western classical music, David’s books aim to take some of the stuffing out of stuffy classical music with a writing style that’s witty and yet also informative.
In Bach, Beethoven and the Grrrls, and with help from longtime cartoon illustrator Dave Donald, he turns his engaging and educating gaze on an area of classical music that has sadly been too long neglected – that of some of the great women composers. In briefly chronicling their lives, David maintains a light tone while striving to remain respectful of the women themselves, yet properly irreverent – at times even perhaps disdainful – of the societal and other forces that for far too long have kept these creative artists in the shadows of others.

Here’s what some notable people have said about David W. Barber’s books:

“My heartiest commendation for an admirable work of scholarship. … I will not say again that it is funny, since this will compel you to set your jaw and dare Barber to make you laugh.”
– Anthony Burgess
on Bach, Beethoven and the Boys

“I must say I still adore opera. I know it is just as silly as Mr. Barber says it is, but I love it.”
– Anna Russell,
on When the Fat Lady Sings

“This amusing and witty … delightful book.”
– Yehudi Menuhin
on Accidentals on Purpose

“Those who have laughed their way through David Barber’s earlier books will that there are a lot of facts lurking behind his irreverent humor.”
– Trevor Pinnock
on Getting a Handel on Messiah

David W. Barber is a journalist and musician and the author of more than a dozen books of music (including Accidentals on Purpose; Bach, Beethoven and the Boys; When the Fat Lady Sings; and Getting a Handel on Messiah) and literature (including Quotable Sherlock, Quotable Alice, Quotable Twain, The Last Laugh, Atonement and other stories, Hedshot and Mugshot). Formerly a writer, editor and entertainment editor of the Kingston Whig-Standard, editor of Broadcast Week magazine at the Toronto Globe and Mail and the assistant editor of arts and life for Postmedia newspapers, he is currently a freelance writer, editor, musician and composer. As a composer, his works include two symphonies, a jazz mass based on the music of Dave Brubeck, a Requiem, several short choral and chamber works and various vocal-jazz songs and arrangements. He sings with the Toronto Chamber Choir and various other choirs on occasion. In a varied career, among his more interesting jobs have been short stints as a roadie for Pope John Paul II, a publicist for Prince Rainier of Monaco and a backup singer for Avril Lavigne. Learn about his other books at IndentPublishing.comRead his blog at DavidWBarber.comFind his music at SheetMusicDirect.com and SheetMusicPlus.com

Dave Donald can't remember when he didn't scrawl his little marks on most surfaces, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that he now makes a living doing just that. He is currently balancing a freelance career in publication design with his more abstruse artistic pursuits. This book represents Dave's eighth illustrative collaboration with David Barber.