Music history is nearly as old as human civilization itself, and while it has permeated the arts and popular culture for centuries, it still has a mystifying aura surrounding it. But fear not—it’s not as complicated as it seems, and anyone can learn the origins and history of Western classical music. In addition to learning how better to understand (and enjoy!) classical music, The History of Classical Music For Beginners will help you learn some of the more interesting and sometimes comical stories behind the music and composers. For example: Did you know that Jean-Baptiste Lully actually died from conducting one of his own compositions? You may have heard of Gregorian chant, but did you know there are many forms of chant, including Ambrosian and Byzantine chant? And did you also know that only a small portion of “classical music” is even technically classical? These interesting, insightful facts and more are yours to discover in The History of Classical Music For Beginners.

A Paperback Original. The author who has taught tens of thousands of people to love opera now introduces readers to the rich and soul-stirring world of classical music. For anyone who is aching to discover classical music, this comprehensive and accessible book is the ideal teacher. Writing in the clear and highly entertaining prose that made Opera 101 the standard text in its field, Fred Plotkin -- music expert, teacher, lecturer, and famous author -- presents classical music in a way that respects both the reader and the art form. In Classical Music 101: --The reader will discover how to become an expert listener, which is essential for learning to love classical music. --A thousand years of music are explored, with emphasis on great works in all styles. Significant composers will be profiled in depth, including Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and many more. --Important musicians, such as pianist Emanuel Ax, singer Marilyn Horne, and conductor James Levine, speak about their art in interviews. Classical Music 101, the newest addition to a highly successful series intended for readers who don't consider themselves dummies or idiots, will help the person drawn to the finer things in life (and readers who don't know how to approach them) discover the glories of music.

What does classical music mean to the Western World? How has it transformed over the centuries? This book examines how music is related to some of the big ideas of Western experience including spirituality, emotion, the weight of history, and self identity.

This book and streaming video course is all that you will ever need for getting started playing the most famous and cherished piano classics by the great composers, like Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven! Piano Professor, Damon Ferrante guides you through each piece with step-by-step piano lessons (for beginners) and 20 streaming video lessons. This easy-to-follow method, used by thousands of piano students and teachers, is designed to be interactive, engaging and fun. No music reading is required! The lessons will greatly expand your repertoire of beloved piano classics and improve your piano technique, creativity, and understanding of music. Whether you are teaching yourself piano or learning with a music instructor, this book and streaming video course will take your piano playing to a whole new level! Ask yourself this: 1. Have you always wanted to learn how to play famous classical piano pieces, but did not know where to start? 2. Did you start piano lessons once and give up because the lessons were too difficult? 3. Are you struggling to follow online piano lessons that seem to jump all over the place without any sense of direction or consistency? 4. Would you like to expand your musical understanding and learn how to play the piano through an affordable, step-by-step book and video course? If your answer to any of the these questions is yes, then this beginner piano classics book and video course is definitely for you! The follow great pieces are covered in this book and streaming video course: Beethoven's Fur Elise J.S. Bach's Prelude in C Major Mozart's Turkish Rondo Pachelbel's Canon Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Liszt's Hungarian Dance Brahms' Lullaby Mendelssohn's Wedding March Strauss's The Blue Danube Waltz Grieg's Hall of the Mountain King Handel's Hallelujah Dvorak's New World Symphony Chopin's Prelude Bizet's The Toreador Song Verdi's La donna e mobile Schumann's The Wild Horseman Paganini's Caprice Number 24 Beethoven's Ode to Joy Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik Mascagni's Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice Dvorak's New World Symphony Erik Satie's Gymnopedie Greensleeves Rossini's William Tell Overture (Theme from the Lone Ranger) and many more classics!"

Haydn, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms, oh, my! The beginner's guide to classical music Classical Music For Dummies is a friendly, funny, easy-to-understand guide to composers, instruments, orchestras, concerts, recordings, and more. Classical music is widely considered one of the pinnacles of human achievement, and this informative guide will shows you just how beautiful and rewarding it can be. You'll learn how Bach is different from Beethoven, how Mozart is different still, and why not all "classical" music is actually Classical if it's really Baroque or Romantic. You'll be introduced to the composers and their work, and discover the groundbreaking pieces that shake the world every time they're played. Begin building your classical music library with the essential recordings that define orchestral, choral, and operatic beauty as you get acquainted with the orchestras and musicians that bring the composers to life. Whether you want to play classical music or just learn more about it, Classical Music For Dummies will teach you everything you need to know to get the most out of this increasingly popular genre. Distinguish flute from piccolo, violin from viola, and trumpet from trombone Learn the difference between overtures, requiems, arias, and masses Explore the composers that shaped music as we know it Discover the recordings your music library cannot be without Classical music has begun sneaking into the mainstream — if your interest has been piqued, there's never been a better time to develop an appreciation for this incredibly rich, complex, and varied body of work. Classical Music For Dummies lays the groundwork, and demonstrates just how amazing classical music can be.

Beginning pianists of all ages will cherish this excellent compilation, which features multiple pieces by many of the greatest composers — Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, and others.