Classical Music For Dummies

By David Pogue and Scott Speck

Haydn, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms, oh, my! The beginner's guide to classical music

Classical Music For Dummies is a friendly, funny, easy-to-understand guide to composers, instruments, orchestras, concerts, recordings, and more. Classical music is widely considered one of the pinnacles of human achievement, and this informative guide will shows you just how beautiful and rewarding it can be. You'll learn how Bach is different from Beethoven, how Mozart is different still, and why not all "classical" music is actually Classical if it's really Baroque or Romantic. You'll be introduced to the composers and their work, and discover the groundbreaking pieces that shake the world every time they're played. Begin building your classical music library with the essential recordings that define orchestral, choral, and operatic beauty as you get acquainted with the orchestras and musicians that bring the composers to life.

Whether you want to play classical music or just learn more about it, Classical Music For Dummies will teach you everything you need to know to get the most out of this increasingly popular genre.

• Distinguish flute from piccolo, violin from viola, and trumpet from trombone
• Learn the difference between overtures, requiems, arias, and masses
• Explore the composers that shaped music as we know it
• Discover the recordings your music library cannot be without

Classical music has begun sneaking into the mainstream — if your interest has been piqued, there's never been a better time to develop an appreciation for this incredibly rich, complex, and varied body of work. Classical Music For Dummies lays the groundwork, and demonstrates just how amazing classical music can be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wiley
• Release date: Jun 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781119049722

David Pogue

DAVID POGUE has 1.5 million followers on Twitter and recently launched a consumer-tech site for Yahoo. Previously he was the tech columnist at The New York Times for thirteen years where he wrote weekly columns that constantly ended up on the Top Ten List of most e-mailed articles of the paper. Additionally Pogue writes a monthly column for Scientific American, is the creator of the Missing Manual computer-book series, and hosts science shows on PBS's NOVA. He has been a correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning since 2002, for which he has won two Emmys, as well as two Webbys, and a Loeb award for journalism.

Reviews for Classical Music For Dummies

[bogopea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Told me so much I didn't know. Great book.

[adewoye-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A funny and witty introduction to classical music.

[startingover_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely love this book. I've always been vaguely interested in classical music, and sometimes it's the only sort of music I can bear to listen to, but I was never really exposed to anything other than light pop and country music when I was growing up, and school music lessons failed to make much of an impression on me.I can understand that the rather jokey, light-hearted tone of this book might put some people off. Personally I thought it was perfect - it makes learning so much easier when the material is presented in this sort of user-friendly way - but what is remarkable is that, even though the writers clearly understand music (Pogue and Speck have both worked as conductors), I never felt at all patronised. In fact they go out of their way to criticise the more snobby elements in the classical music world and clearly all they want is for people to enjoy and appreciate the music.The book begins with a quick whizz through the history of classical music, giving brief biographies of major composers and recommended listening (useful for someone like me who would like to build a classical CD library but has no clue where to begin!), within an historical framework.The book then goes on to explain some of the basics about music forms, so that I now understand exactly what a symphony is, what a sonata is, and why these structures are used. Basic stuff, perhaps, but an eye-opener for me, and again all explained in a simple (but not simplistic) way. The next chapter was of slightly less interest to me - a concert survival guide. I'm far more likely to listen to CDs or perhaps watch music performed on TV, but the descriptions of typical concert programmes was actually very interesting, even if I never attend a single concert!A CD featuring nine pieces of music comes with the book. I listened to the CD twice through without referring to the detailed descriptions of the music, but listening to the music with the notes to hand was, again, a thoroughly worthwhile experience and enhanced my appreciation of how a piece of music is put together.The authors guide the reader through every element of the orchestra (keyboards, strings, woodwinds, etc) with suggestions for music to listen to that best showcases each element. I skipped the music theory chapter, brief and basic though it is. At the back of the book is a further list of suggested CDs with which to begin to build a music collection.Overall, this is the perfect book for someone with an interest in classical music but no idea where to start. The information in it is basic, but for me that was just what I needed. I certainly feel a lot more confident about exploring further now that I've dipped my toe and found that the water feels pretty good! [September 2006]

[joles_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

All of the Dummies books are excellent and this is no exception. I love how it delves into depth, while also relating anecdotes and cartoons to hold the reader's attention. The CD is also excellent.