Short description
This guide provides an insight into what makes classical music sound the way it does, by discussing musical eras, scores, instruments and other important background information. It contains tips on how to discover music readers will enjoy most and advice on building a classical music library.
Long description
The more you know about classical music, the more you love it. Now, thanks to Classical Music For Dummies, you can achieve a whole new level of insight into both the composers and the compositions that have made classical music one of the great accomplishments of humankind. Classical Music For Dummies doesn't assume that you have a degree in musicology -- or even that you took a course in music appreciation. Rather, the multimedially gifted David Pogue and renowned conductor Scott Speck explain classical music in terms you can understand, and they describe musical elements so that you can hear them for yourself. A reference you can dip into at any point, Classical Music For Dummies covers such topics as * The various forms that classical music takes -- from symphonies to string quartets * What goes on behind the scenes and on stage to fill a concert hall with great classical music * How to recognize, by sight and by sound, the many instruments that make up an orchestra * The nuts and bolts of classical music -- from rhythm to harmonic progression Plus, Classical Music For Dummies comes complete with a CD containing over 60 minutes of masterpieces compiled especially for the book. The CD also includes a demo version of the Angel/EMI Classics For Dummies TM multimedia interface to try out on your Windows-based PC or Macintosh computer.