The Complete Book of the Great Musicians: A Course in Appreciation for Young Readers

by Percy Alfred Scholes

Contains in a single volume The First Book of the Musicians , The Second Book of the Great Musicians , and The Third Book of the Great Musicians . A stimulating introduction to the major composers, the music they wrote, and the instruments they used. For each of the two dozen composers included, the author secures the reader's interest by first relating stories of his childhood, then introducing representative pieces of his music, selected for appeal on first hearing. The reader is led on step by step to develop his listening skills, often through games of the author's invention. As he is ready to learn more about various aspects of musical form and its development, a chapter appears explaining just that. With the author taking special care to show how the paths of the different musicians intertwine and how supportive they are of each other, it seems as if he is inviting the reader to join the musical community and equipping him to be an appreciative listener, if not a musician himself.

Genres: Music

Library Binding

First published January 1, 1923

Reviews

[Dawn]

Of course, these three books are not exhaustive. The writer presents a little about musical ideas or the young life of a composer in each short chapter, then asks questions about his subject, and finally gives ideas for further study and exploration. He is writing to young people who might have had access to vinyl records as the latest in technology.

The chapters are short. The writing is good. For those wanting to learn (of any age), there is information tucked in these pages which will get your juices flowing. It might be appropriate to take a week or two, or even a month or two on each chapter if the information presented is new and the reader would like to explore the musical pieces suggested at the end.