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Title: The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection : The 350 Essential Works by Theodore Libbey, Ted Libbey, Mstislav Rostropovich ISBN: 0-7611-0487-9 Publisher: Workman Publishing Company Pub. Date: September, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.38 (24 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: An excellent introduction to classical music on CD
Comment: For the individual who has recently discovered classical music, this is likely the best guide to help them get a firm foothold. Once someone becomes interested in classical music, they soon realize it is an enormous entity with hundreds of composers and nearly 100,000 CDs. Ted Libbey's book, now in the 2nd edition, is an excellent introduction to the core repertoire of classical music. It is possibly the best guide to help one navigate their first steps through this daunting mass of material. The book is logically conceived with sections on orchestral music, concertos, chamber music, solo piano, and opera. Each subsection is arranged alphabetically by composer, with about a page devoted to each individual work. This is followed by Libbey's suggestions for the best available recordings. Almost every page has either a relevant photo or wry illustrative cartoon. The prose is very approachable and most of the points are excellent ones, aptly argued in a highly literate style.
So, if I think the book is so great, why only give it four stars? First, I'd give it four and a half if this program would allow it. One reason why I did not go the full five stars is because Libbey includes stories that have not been proven. (Example; Tchaikovsky was forced to drink poison because his colleagues found out he made a sexual advance at the Czar's nephew.) There are enough fascinating true stories about the great composers without having to entertain the bizarre or unsubstantiated ones. Other possible drawbacks are some of Libbey's choices for representative recordings have become outdated, and arguments could be made that some of his other choices are not the best available.
In the long run however the book is a great success and would greatly help someone to get a solid start to become more familiar with the vast and wonderful world of classical music. Possibly a good approach would be for our hypothetical novice to supplement Libbey's book with the Penguin Guide to CDs, or the Grammophone Good CD Guide. After getting a little more familiar with the turf, one learns to read between the lines and then suddenly, the mountain of material begins to yield a visible path.
Bottom line? If you want to get started with classical music this may be the best place to look. If you already know the difference between Schubert and Schumann, or Weber and Webern, pass this up.
Rating: 4
Summary: Brilliant reviews on orchestral works and concertos
Comment: The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection is a good start but, it has its limitations. Ted Libbey gave himself a daunting task in putting this guide together. He did an excellent job on the two chapters on orchestral works and concertos, which comprise about half the book. These chapters alone make this book worth the money. His commentary is concise without losing important detail. The reasons that he selected the recommended recordings are clearly laid out. He gives the audiophile a genuine opportunity to understand what is good in a specific recording and what is missing. In many cases he provides more than one choice and explains the differences between the recordings. Based on his commentary, I am obsessively trying to find the Elan recording of Santiago Rodriguez playing Prokofievâs Piano Concerto No. 3.
As the guide progresses, however, the author seems to lose interest. His chapter on chamber music is adequate. Then, he zips through solo keyboard works and sacred music. By the time he gets to the last chapter on Opera he has given up. It is ridiculously short. The entire subject is covered in 60 pages! It is not well edited. At one point he states that Leontyne Price is the âgreat Aida of our timeâ; then he does not mention her recording of this Verdi masterpiece. His recommendation of Mirella Freniâs Aida is a surprise. It is in this chapter that the author has decided not to give any reasons for his recommendations. And so, we are left puzzled. What is wrong with Leontyne Priceâs Aida? All of Marilyn Horneâs opera recordings are overlooked. He correctly lists the brilliant Victoria de los Angeles and Jussi Bjorling recording of La Boheme, but fails to note that this is a mono recording.
Perhaps Ted Libbey should have co authored this book with someone interested in vocal music, or represented this as the essential guide to orchestral works and concertos. It is certainly worth having. But the true classical CD collector will need other guides for help in finding those special vocal and solo instrument recordings. I recommend this with some reservation.
Rating: 5
Summary: Classical Music Bible: A Great Source Of Reference
Comment: National Public Radio has issued other related books, including the Guide to Opera. This Classical Music Guide is one of the best sources for classical music. If you are a novice and wish to take it upon yourself to learn about classical music, this will be a great source. It works like a music appreciation course in its own right. If you are already a fan and wish to build a collection of great recordings, this is also very effective. Here are all the great names in classical music- Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Stravinsky, Rachmaninov, Berlioz, and the opera composers Wagner, Verdi, and Puccini.
Terms in music are clearly defined and recommended conductos, orchestras and recordings are listed - Herbert Von Karajan, hailed as the best conductor of the 20th century after Arturo Toscanini was in the turn of the century, and the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic which are world famous, conductors Leonard Bernstein (of Broadway musical fame Westside Story and Candide) Bruno Walter, Paul Paray, Antal Dorati, John Elliot Gardner, George Szell who was the longest running conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa, Eugene Ormandy, Zubin Mehta, George Solti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Charles Mackerras, Thomas Beecham, Dutoit, Andre Previn, Colin Davis, Neville Marriner and the recent conducting of Simon Rattle and Essa Pekka Salonen. Virtuoso musicians like the pianist Arthur Rubinstein, Murray Perahia, violinists Iztak Pearlman, Isaac Stern and Zuckerman, Midori, Chang, Hilary Hahn and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Let's nor forget trumpet talents Winston Marsalis and Hakan Herdenberger.
Provided here are a history and chronology of classical music periods and the influential composers. In the Baroque Era (1600-1750) Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. Bach's Brandenburg Concerti, Toccata And Fugue in D Minor, Violin Concerti and Chorale Preludes as well as Goldberg Variatons among other works are his most famous. Handel's Water Music, Royal Fireworks Music and Concerto Grosso stand out as much as his operas- Rinaldo, Giulio Cesare, and his majestic oratorio The Messiah. Vivaldi is most famous for The Four Seasons but a lot of his string ensembles are excellent music of the period. For the Classical Era (1750-1820) the biggest name is Mozart, whose Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is his signature, but composed the best piano, violin, flute and clarinet concerti, symphonies and operas- Le Nozze Di Figaro, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute. Franz Joseph Haydn's many symphonies are considered the first ever written, but he composed music for keyboard, the famous Trumpet Concerto in E and the oratario The Creation, a sublime choral piece.
Let's close with the Romantic Era, which was in the 19th century. The music was emotional, expressive and colorful. Mendelsshon has several great symphonies, including The Italian Symphony, as well as the pieces A Midsummer Night's Dream Incidental Music and Hebrides Overture/Fingal's Cave and a virtuosic violin concerto. Brahms' Four Symphonies are his best works, and also famous is his Academic Festival Overture, as well as his concerti. Berlioz has the Symphony Fantastique and other large-scale orchestra works. Dvorak has the famous "New World" symphony and Tchaikovsky has his ballets Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker as well as 1812 Overture, Piano Concerto No. 1, Violin Concerto and six symphonies plus operas Queen Of Spades and Eugene Onegin to his credit. Rachmaninov has his famous piano concerto and the Impressonistic style of Debussy and Satie foreshadow the more modern style of Stravinsky and Shostakovitch as well as Arnold Schoenburg's atonal works. This is the Bible of Classical Music.
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Title: The NPR Classical Music Companion : Terms and Concepts from A to Z by Miles Hoffman ISBN: 0395707420 Publisher: Mariner Books Pub. Date: 19 August, 1997 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: The Npr Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music by Tim Smith, Michael Tilson Thomas ISBN: 0399527958 Publisher: Perigee Pub. Date: 06 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Classical Music 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Classical Music by Fred Plotkin ISBN: 0786886277 Publisher: Hyperion Press Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Classical Music by Phil G. Goulding ISBN: 0449910423 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 17 October, 1995 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title:Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1/Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2 ASIN: B000003EUG Publisher: Rca Pub. Date: 12 January, 1993 List Price(USD): $17.98 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $13.99 |
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