Great Composers

Ludwig van Beethoven, a genius composer, one of the most recognized and influential of all composers. Ludwig van Beethoven is a crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Classical music. Beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age and was taught by his father Johann van Beethoven and by composer and conductor Christian Gottlob Neefe.

In February 1969, the Beatles began working on what became their final album together. Abbey Road introduced a number of new techniques and technologies to the Beatles' sound and included "Come Together", "Something", and "Here Comes the Sun", which all emerged as classics. Womack's colorful retelling of how this landmark album was written and recorded is a treat for fans of the Beatles. Solid State takes listeners back to 1969 and into EMI's Abbey Road Studios, which boasted an advanced solid state transistor mixing desk.

To appreciate the beauty of great works of music, we must be familiar with the lives of the geniuses who composed them. For in the personalities and life-stories of great composers is the key to their masterpieces.

En 2022, Lisa Marie Presley a demandé à sa fille de l’aider à terminer les mémoires qu’elle portait en elle depuis si longtemps. Un mois plus tard, Lisa Marie était morte, et le monde ne connaîtrait jamais son histoire avec ses propres mots, ni la femme passionnée, joyeuse, attentionnée et complexe que Riley aimait et pleurait maintenant. Riley a récupéré les cassettes que sa mère avait enregistrées pour le livre, s’est allongée dans son lit et a écouté Lisa Marie se raconter. Les voiturettes de golf qu’elle démolissait avec ses amis dans les jardins de Graceland.

From Gregorian Chant to Henryk Gorecki, the first living classical composer to get into the pop album charts, here is the fascinating story of over a thousand years of Western classical music and the composers who have sought to express in music the deepest of human feelings and emotions. Also available: The History of Opera.

Funny, cynical, and earthy, Bound for Glory is the stirring account of Guthrie's life and a superb portrait of America's Depression years. This Grammy-nominated recording is performed by his son, Arlo Guthrie, who—like his father—is known for engaging storytelling and performing songs of protest against social injustice.

The lives and music of the great composers of classical music unfold in this entertaining account, introduced by singer and presenter Aled Jones. In 1200 years, classical music grew from the chanting of medieval monks through the symphonies of Beethoven and the grand operas of Wagner to the huge orchestral sound-world of the 21st century, with its electronics and its film music.

The Great Gate of Kiev resounds to the tumultuous bell rings that end Pictures an an Exhibition, one of the most magnificent and virtuosic of all piano pieces. However, to some of his contemporaries, Modest Mussorgsky was ‘insane’ and ‘a perfect idiot’. Born into a wealthy land-owning family, what drove this tormented man and why did he suffer psychological breakdowns and alcoholism? How did he achieve his command of the realist idiom in his stage works? d, of course, Pictures at an Exhibition.

In Simply Stravinsky, Professor Pieter van den Toorn takes a fresh look at the composer and his legacy, providing a compact, exciting, and accessible introduction to the 20th century’s most celebrated composer and his timeless music. From Stravinsky’s apprenticeship in St. Petersburg to his life among the émigré community in Southern California, Professor van den Toorn shows how the composer’s music was tied to his personality and how it came to influence artists from Aaron Copland to Philip Glass.

Often referred to as the quiet Beatle, George Harrison’s demure and slightly moody visage can be seen peeking out at us from countless Beatles and solo albums. It seemed that George was such a powerful presence, he really didn’t even need to speak. This was the man who bid us to listen while his guitar gently wept.

Lisa Marie Presley, Tochter der amerikanischen Musiklegende Elvis und aufgewachsen in Graceland, erzählt erstmals ihre ganze Lebensgeschichte. Eine einzigartige und ungeschönte Autobiografie, die von ihrer Tochter Riley Keough aufgeschrieben wurde Ende 2022 bat Lisa Marie Presley ihre Tochter Riley Keough, ihr bei der Fertigstellung ihre lang erwarteten Memoiren zu helfen. Nur einen Monat später verstarb Lisa Marie überraschend - und konnte ihre Geschichte, die sie in ihren eigenen Worten erzählen wollte, nicht mehr vollenden.

A concise story of the life of Franz Joseph Haydn, originally used as a tool for instruction. Facts and a series of questions may make this a useful tool for teachers and parents. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.

This guide provides introductory and closing commentary for works from many famous classical composers, and includes time-stamped commentary to explain the technical aspects of what is being heard in the piece and the composer's intent in real time. This innovative audiobook enables you to hear both the music and the commentary in parallel.

Let Osvaldo Mouszee guide your children through the life and work of three of the greatest classical composers: Beethoven, Berlioz, and Brahms. The book explains their life and works. Not only that, but you can hear their works included in the recording after learning about the composer. This is great way to educate children on classical composers and bring their works to life!

Joel Miller is an ex-roadie for Guns N’ Roses, Poison, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Cranberries. The book is an often-hilarious personal account of a young man in his early 20s trying to be a “good” roadie while also trying to understand life’s big picture. Through the advice of rock stars and career roadies Joel tries to find the pathway to roadie righteousness.

Whatever you do or don't know about being a musician, this no-holds-barred tour through the hilarious and brutal realities of life inside the music industry is as informative as it is entertaining. Written for musicians and general public alike, Byron Fry's story imparts hard-learned, hard-hitting truths from his wild ride through life as a musical pinball. His journey is a dizzying study of how many hats one person can wear, and he places each of them on your head.

This is the story of Alex James’s transition from a leading light of the Britpop movement in the 1990s, to gentleman farmer, artisan cheese-maker and father of five. All Cheeses Great and Small is the follow-up memoir to Alex James's first book, Bit of a Blur, the story of his excessive pop star lifestyle during the nineties. But now Alex has grown up, fallen in love and got married.

Probably the most naturally gifted musician the world has ever known, Mozart began his career early as a child prodigy. By the age five, he was already proficient on the violin, the harpsichord, and piano keyboard, and had begun composing music that had integrity. He was a showman as well, according to contemporary documents, and charmed many of the crowned heads of Europe with his performance and his manner.

In Simply Beethoven, Professor Leon Plantinga offers the lay listener a fascinating account of Beethoven’s life and music in its singular historical context, a time that saw the upheaval of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic conquests, as well as the rise of the European middle class. It was in this milieu that Beethoven composed the groundbreaking, highly individual works that changed the course of music and have continued to inspire and delight listeners for more than two centuries.

Gracias a su valor pudo ser uno de los primeros músicos de su tiempo, pues su padre odiaba la música y se opuso rotundamente a la vocación de su hijo, quien la estudió en secreto, profundizando en ella hasta hacer de su música la síntesis de los diferentes estilos de la época barroca. Aunque se formó en Halle, su ciudad natal, trabajó en distintas capitales: Hamburgo, Roma, Hannover y Londres, aprendiendo de sus distintas escuelas y estilos.