Haydn

Famous Children

by Ann Rachlin, Susan Hellard (Illustrator)

Focuses on the childhood and early musical training of the eighteenth-century Austrian composer, Joseph Haydn.

Genres: Childrens, Music, Biography, Education

24 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1992

Reviews

[Dion Yulianto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seri tokoh besar di masa kanak-kanak ini membawa kesan bahwa bakat itu penting. Harus ada faktor pendukung yg besar dari dalam diri yang mendorong seseorang untuk tidak ragu memperjuangkan diriya meskipun lingkungan tidak mendukung. Bakat di sini tidak melulu kemampuan yang tiba-tiba excellence, tapi bisa berupa kesukaan yang amat berlebih pada sesuatu, obsesi, atau fokusnya seseorang ketika menemukan sesuatu yang itu menjadi bakat dan (kelak) keunggalannya. Jadi, tidak bisa disangkal, bakat memang penting walau bukan satu-satunya yang penting.

[What April's Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute kids book describing the life of Joseph Haydn. Definitely appropriate for younger audiences.

[Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short little book mainly discusses the early years of Joseph Haydn. It tells of his home and his longing to be a musician. He moves to live with an uncle so he can sing in a choir. Later he moves to sing in a better choir. He is eventually asked to conduct an orchestra. The book ends by telling about the surprise symphony which has a loud crash in the middle to wake up the audience. The last page gives a summary of his work.

I like the summary which tells of the 104 symphonies he wrote and some of their names. I didn't know anything about Haydn's childhood or life at all, so the book was interesting to me. I have traveled to Vienna, so I was also able to make a connection in that way (book to self).

I think if you had a young student who was interested in music, this would be a good book to recommend to them. It is one of a series of books on famous composers. This book could stir on further reading or research, and it would also be useful to play some of Haydn's music after reading the book. You could also make connections to history.