Simply Fantastic: An Introduction to Classical Music

I'll admit it as a young music student, I thought classical music was boooring without lyrics to tell a story. It wasn't until many years later in a collegiate music appreciation class when I began to hear pieces like Peter and the Wolf and other classic story pieces that I realized how wrong I was!

This book contains 20 pieces of classical music and an accompanying CD. The book goes through each song individually, explaining the literature it is based on, the ballet it is derived from, or any other information beneficial for giving context. Each page also has a few illustrations to go along, but the real key to the story is in the text. After the section explaining each story, there is a listening guide to show what instruments or pitches are used to indicate different voices or actions. Additionally, there is a short biography of each conductor and a glossary of musical terms used throughout the book. This is a unique, kid-friendly approach to classical music that I wish I had owned as a child! What a great foundation to music appreciation! Parents, as are often found in Shakespeare or other tales of that era, many of the pieces contain stories about elves, witches, fairies, and two pieces in particular mention the Devil. 68 hardcover pages. Laura