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The Story of Classical Music
This lively recording is a perfect way to introduce classical music to the entire family. It looks at the music through the lives of the great composers and their environment, from the churches and cathedrals that produced the familiar sound of Gregorian chant, to Johann Sebastian Bach, the family man composing for the glory of God, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the child prodigy, genius and prankster who wrote some of the finest music ever yet was buried in a pauper's grave. The story will be taken to the composers of the 21st century. This unusual and special production by the two most important brand names in classical music includes more than 100 musical examples taken from the extensive Naxos catalog.
5 pages, Audio CD
First published June 1, 2004
7 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Darren Henley
55 books3 followersDarren Henley OBE is chief executive of Arts Council England. His two independent government reviews into music and cultural education resulted in England's first National Plan for Music Education, new networks of Music Education Hubs, Cultural Education Partnerships and Heritage Schools, the Museums and Schools programme, the BFI Film Academy and the National Youth Dance Company. Before joining the Arts Council, he led Classic FM for fifteen years. He holds degrees in politics from the University of Hull, in management from the University of South Wales and in history of art from the University of Buckingham. A recipient of the British Academy President's Medal for his contributions to music education, music research and the arts, his books include The Virtuous Circle: Why Creativity and Cultural Education Count and The Arts Dividend: Why Investment in Culture Pays.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 18, 2024
A whirlwind tour to beat all whirlwind tours!
A historical overview of classical music beginning over 1400 years ago with Gregorian chants and Hidegard von Bingen culminating with a brief listen to a snippet of the soundtracks from Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter must by its very breadth be an extremely cursory whirlwind tour that forgoes all attempts at depth or explanation. That said, no matter how informed or erudite the listener might be, THE STORY OF CLASSICAL MUSIC provides an entertaining 4 CD collection of musical excerpts that spans history, spans musical styles and spans the globe. From ancient to avant garde, from ridiculous to sublime, from pianissimo to con belto fortissimo - there's something here for everybody and a springboard from which any listener - no matter how young or old, no matter how educated or new to the listening of classical music - can leap into further researches in the ever broadening and ever changing field of classical music.
Did you know that there is actually a performance piece of experimental classical music (and, no, I am not kidding) that is 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence! The performer (presumably a concert pianist) enters the stage, sits down at the piano and does nothing for the duration of the piece. The music (such as it is) is presumed to be the background noises that occur in the concert hall! What do you think? Would you be clapping wildly when the performer took his bows? In honour of the nature of the piece, I'll stay silent on the name of the composer.
Another juicy little tidbit! I wonder how many other fans of classical music there are like me who were blissfully unaware that the modern "Tea for Two" which virtually any adult in North America can hum was composed by the Russian composer, Dmitri Shostakovitch. What a neat little piece of classical music trivia!
To summarize, shallow and, of necessity, only informative or educational in passing but thoroughly entertaining and pleasant to listen to for the entire duration of the 4 CD production. Recommended.
Paul Weiss
A historical overview of classical music beginning over 1400 years ago with Gregorian chants and Hidegard von Bingen culminating with a brief listen to a snippet of the soundtracks from Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter must by its very breadth be an extremely cursory whirlwind tour that forgoes all attempts at depth or explanation. That said, no matter how informed or erudite the listener might be, THE STORY OF CLASSICAL MUSIC provides an entertaining 4 CD collection of musical excerpts that spans history, spans musical styles and spans the globe. From ancient to avant garde, from ridiculous to sublime, from pianissimo to con belto fortissimo - there's something here for everybody and a springboard from which any listener - no matter how young or old, no matter how educated or new to the listening of classical music - can leap into further researches in the ever broadening and ever changing field of classical music.
Did you know that there is actually a performance piece of experimental classical music (and, no, I am not kidding) that is 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence! The performer (presumably a concert pianist) enters the stage, sits down at the piano and does nothing for the duration of the piece. The music (such as it is) is presumed to be the background noises that occur in the concert hall! What do you think? Would you be clapping wildly when the performer took his bows? In honour of the nature of the piece, I'll stay silent on the name of the composer.
Another juicy little tidbit! I wonder how many other fans of classical music there are like me who were blissfully unaware that the modern "Tea for Two" which virtually any adult in North America can hum was composed by the Russian composer, Dmitri Shostakovitch. What a neat little piece of classical music trivia!
To summarize, shallow and, of necessity, only informative or educational in passing but thoroughly entertaining and pleasant to listen to for the entire duration of the 4 CD production. Recommended.
Paul Weiss
March 7, 2016
I'm listening to this on CD. It is fantastic. I love the history and abbreviated biographies that include interesting facts. Bach loved music so much he once walked 231 miles, each way, to see a concert. The music is wonderful, of course, and they only include snippets which ensures kids get an exposure to the famous pieces but don't lose focus. I'm listening to it on my own, but I plan to put this into the CD player on the next family road trip! This is really worth listening to at least twice!
August 11, 2022
Whirlwind tour. (The first of an intermittent series of audio books on music.)
March 18, 2021
I would heartily recommend this to almost anyone of almost any age who is interested in getting a nice overview of the enormous family that we call classical music, from Gregorian chant to movie scores. It is wonderful that with technology we can now listen to excerpts of the music which is being discussed without having to stop our reading and go find a recording.
November 15, 2020
Book on CD - enjoyable. I want to hear more. Need to check out more by this author.
April 18, 2020
I enjoyed this audiobook. It is really cool that they play samples of the music that they are talking about. I learned a lot and I have much more appreciation for classical music. The only flaw is that I don't think they mention Georg Phillip Telemann... He is one of my favorite composers...
March 8, 2014
I'm not sure I would've listened to this audio if it hadn't been offered free for limited time. However I did find that I really enjoyed this. I Have been a fan of classical music ever since I was in the band in high school and I really enjoyed listening to some of my favorite pieces and trying to identify the titles and composers.
August 13, 2009
Marin Alsop the fabulous music director for the Baltimore Symphony is the narrator of this audio book. She is all about making classical music accessible so narrating Henley's book was a perfect match.
August 18, 2007
THis book is best in its audio format downloaded from audible.com. Preferably in format 4. It is SUCH a great primer on classical music.
February 8, 2013
A simplified overview of the history if classical music. I listened to the audio book which has great samples of the music throughout. I listened to the book twice.
August 23, 2025
The Story of Classical Music by Darren Henley
This is an extraordinary…I do not know what to call it- is it a book? Or a production of a book?
It is an audio book, which makes the whole difference between a joy to listen to and a difficult read. Recently, I tried to go through a similar venture, but in print: An Introduction to Music.
It was way less satisfying than the present, wonderful audiobook.
It is one to talk or write about Beethoven and a whole different ball game, when you exemplify.
The listener is taken from the early music, where we find a woman composer, as early as a few centuries A.D.
It is extraordinary how comprehensive this audio book seems to be- I am no expert, but this production takes the listener from Schubert to Harry Janos, from Mozart to Carmina Burana
There are names I have never heard of and the titans, classics still known by most people, even if younger people may know much better Rihanna than Brahms, or Jason Derulo than Bach.
This should be read by younger people, who grow up with stars that, although talented, pale when compared with Vivaldi, Haydn or Debussy.
Lady Gaga may try to make some points by supporting gay rights- she has invited the transsexual known as the woman with a beard, who has recently won the controversial Eurovision contest, to come along on tour.
It is laudable to promote good causes, but to do that when dressed with…beef meat is a bit stretching the imagination beyond what I agree with.
The composers were treated as superstars in their day, even if we all know that Mozart died a pauper.
The genius of Mozart may have had more to do with his febrile activity as a pianist and composer, that with the talent he had. In a book by Malcolm Gladwell, the theory that we need 10,000 hours of practice, over a period of ten years is very well argued and demonstrated with Mozart, Bill Gates, and the Beatles among others.
In The History of Classical Music we learn about contemporary classical music, which tends to be created for major Hollywood movies: The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter are offered as examples.
There are anecdotes and facts from the history of music, where a composer died because he struck his foot with the can which he used to keep the rhythm- this was used in an excellent French movie, whose name I am sorry to have forgotten.
In the post modernist world, I laughed to hear that a composer offered us a piece with…silence. The only music would be the noises heard in the background.
In conclusion: this is a glorious work that I strongly recommend…in fact, I will listen to it again and…again.
This is an extraordinary…I do not know what to call it- is it a book? Or a production of a book?
It is an audio book, which makes the whole difference between a joy to listen to and a difficult read. Recently, I tried to go through a similar venture, but in print: An Introduction to Music.
It was way less satisfying than the present, wonderful audiobook.
It is one to talk or write about Beethoven and a whole different ball game, when you exemplify.
The listener is taken from the early music, where we find a woman composer, as early as a few centuries A.D.
It is extraordinary how comprehensive this audio book seems to be- I am no expert, but this production takes the listener from Schubert to Harry Janos, from Mozart to Carmina Burana
There are names I have never heard of and the titans, classics still known by most people, even if younger people may know much better Rihanna than Brahms, or Jason Derulo than Bach.
This should be read by younger people, who grow up with stars that, although talented, pale when compared with Vivaldi, Haydn or Debussy.
Lady Gaga may try to make some points by supporting gay rights- she has invited the transsexual known as the woman with a beard, who has recently won the controversial Eurovision contest, to come along on tour.
It is laudable to promote good causes, but to do that when dressed with…beef meat is a bit stretching the imagination beyond what I agree with.
The composers were treated as superstars in their day, even if we all know that Mozart died a pauper.
The genius of Mozart may have had more to do with his febrile activity as a pianist and composer, that with the talent he had. In a book by Malcolm Gladwell, the theory that we need 10,000 hours of practice, over a period of ten years is very well argued and demonstrated with Mozart, Bill Gates, and the Beatles among others.
In The History of Classical Music we learn about contemporary classical music, which tends to be created for major Hollywood movies: The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter are offered as examples.
There are anecdotes and facts from the history of music, where a composer died because he struck his foot with the can which he used to keep the rhythm- this was used in an excellent French movie, whose name I am sorry to have forgotten.
In the post modernist world, I laughed to hear that a composer offered us a piece with…silence. The only music would be the noises heard in the background.
In conclusion: this is a glorious work that I strongly recommend…in fact, I will listen to it again and…again.
June 2, 2019
A good introduction to various forms of classical music and its development throughout history. The work seems to be aimed at a young audience, but it is also quite informative and I learned some interesting facts about both the music and composers.
The narration moves along at a good clip, interspersed frequently with samples of music. The story also relates the music to the culture and politics of the time in which the pieces were written.
This is a great beginner's guide to classical music and should stimulate further interest in this genre.
The narration moves along at a good clip, interspersed frequently with samples of music. The story also relates the music to the culture and politics of the time in which the pieces were written.
This is a great beginner's guide to classical music and should stimulate further interest in this genre.
July 30, 2022
I adored this audiobook and would give it over five stars if I could. I have listened to this several times. It has so many interesting facts that personalize and bring to life classical music and the personalities behind it. There were many new pieces that I had not heard before and was introduced to, and many old favorites. I would pay money to get a list or compilation of all the pieces that were covered in this audiobook.
October 3, 2017
A challenging task to cover the long evolution of classical music, probably best for someone with a solid grounding but a novice would do well to re-listen many times. This nice audiobook covered the topic quite well, with fine samples. Ideally, this book would have been 60 hours long, allowing each sample played in full!
December 21, 2021
This was interesting. I listened to the audio which was great because it played clips of the different pieces. I learned a few things and my kids, who listened in sometimes, heard music that interested them and they were able to look it up. One son has printed out guitar tab sheets for Blue Danube. :)
2021A book about music
2021A book about music
March 20, 2022
This audiobook presents a highly enjoyable survey of classical music complete with clips from many beautiful pieces. Conductor Marin Alsop is an excellent narrator. The book includes brief discussions of the composers' lives and places their works in historical and musical context.
A great resource for those who don't know much about classical music and a lovely listen for everyone.
A great resource for those who don't know much about classical music and a lovely listen for everyone.
August 24, 2021
A marvelous book that i went through like a breezein just 3 days. Enjoyed every page and every tune. the Audiobook version is full of amazing excerpts of music from the 600’s till now. very educating and entertaining.
July 10, 2023
This is an audiobook that simplifies the history of classical music from the beginning until modern times. The best part is the music that is played. Just enough excerpts from musical pieces to understand them.
November 28, 2024
I would rate this higher if the historical details had been better researched; there were many false 'facts' throughout. But the selection was wonderful and as an introduction to classical music, this was great.
January 11, 2018
Enjoyable overview of classical music. Great listen for kids.
March 16, 2018
Excellent audiobook very informative and fun broad overview for one looking to start learning about great classical music.
April 26, 2019
full review at http://gilwilson.wordpress.com
July 8, 2019
Excellent primer to Classical music through the ages. It give you just enough information and music on each major composer to get a sense of who they were and their style.
July 8, 2020
Good overview for classical music lovers. Picked up a few unknown tidbits about the lives of composers.
Would be great for school kids needing an overview.
Would be great for school kids needing an overview.
October 24, 2021
I enjoyed learning about classical musi,c as the narrator made it very interesting by including interesting bios of the composers, along with amazing samples of their music played by an orchestra.
May 11, 2024
By far, the best intro to classical music I’ve found. A hundred audio clips, lots of which you’ll recognize. Great historical anecdotes on composers and the times in which they lived.
March 31, 2022
4.45 stars.
Is this an actual book? Or is it just an audiobook? If it's an actual book, I really really hope it comes with a link to or CD of the audiobook because the audio adds SO SO MUCH. WOW, this was like a speedrun through my intro to music course in college. WONDERFUL. I plan to keep an eye out for any other books by Darren Henley in the future!
(4.5 stars on Storygraph)
Is this an actual book? Or is it just an audiobook? If it's an actual book, I really really hope it comes with a link to or CD of the audiobook because the audio adds SO SO MUCH. WOW, this was like a speedrun through my intro to music course in college. WONDERFUL. I plan to keep an eye out for any other books by Darren Henley in the future!
(4.5 stars on Storygraph)
September 10, 2016
I loved this book so much that I listened to it back to back in my van. The author reveals many anecdotes which really brings the book to life such as when Bach, as a youth, once walked 200 plus miles to listen to an organist that he particularly admired. Then walk back of course. Cray-cray! The author includes 150 musical excerpts of all these composers. It's like being let loose in a pastry shop and tasting all the pastries! Reader Marin Alsop does a great job keeping you engaged in the story, not that the story isn't engaging enough as on its own!
September 27, 2012
The best about this audiobook history of classical music from the Renaissance to the 20th century is listening to snippets from the compositions of the masters - Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Paganini, Schubert, Chopin, Mendelsshon, Liszt, Schumann, Brahms, Wagner, Verdi, Strauss, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Debussy, Puccini, Mahler, Rachmaninov, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Gershwin, Bernstein, and many others.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews