Classical Composers

The Mad Genius of Classical Music: Mental Health and the Creative Minds of Composers offers a compelling exploration into the lives of some of history’s most celebrated classical composers and the mental health struggles that profoundly shaped their music. This thought-provoking book takes a deep dive into the personal lives and psychological struggles of composers like Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, and many others. It explores how their battles with mental illness—from depression and anxiety to bipolar disorder, psychosis, and substance abuse—were inextricably tied to ...

You may not have heard of English composer Thomas Tallis, but he was just as important to Renaissance music as Beethoven and Mozart were to the Classical era. He was a pretty interesting chap, too! Did you know: Thomas Tallis’ wrote music for four of the five Tudor kings and queens He had to hide his Catholic faith to avoid persecution by the Church Almost all of his music is written to be sung without instruments In later life, he was one of only two people allowed to print music in England! Find the answers to these and many more questions about one of the greatest composers of early ...

The lives and music of the great composers of classical music unfold in this entertaining account, introduced by the conductor and musical personality Marin Alsop. In 1200 years, classical music grew from the chanting of medieval monks through the symphonies of Beethoven and the grand operas of Wagner to the huge orchestral sound-world of the 21st century, with its electronics and its film music.

Probably the most naturally gifted musician the world has ever known, Mozart began his career early as a child prodigy. By the age of five, he was already proficient in the violin, the harpsichord, and piano keyboard. He had also begun composing music that had integrity. Ludwig van Beethoven is a crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in classical music. Beethoven displayed his musical talents at an early age. Listen to the full biographies of these two musicians, from the beginning to the end!

As if recovering from a raucous dream of the 1960s, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek arrived on 1970s American radio with a sound that echoed disenchanted hearts of young people everywhere. The three American boys had named their band after a country they'd watched and dreamt of from their London childhood Air Force base homes. What was this country? This new band? Celebrating the band's 50th anniversary, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell share stories of growing up, growing together, and growing older.

Did you know that: Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture famously includes the use of real cannon fire Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake" in 1877 was initially met with mixed reviews Tchaikovsky was an accomplished conductor and travelled extensively to conduct his own works “The Nutcracker” did not gain widespread popularity until after Tchaikovsky’s death Find out about these and many more fascinating events that shaped the life of one of Russia’s most influential Romantic composers in, Classical Giants: Tchaikovsky. Classical Giants brings to life the most famous composers in history, ...

In this unique homage to an American icon, journalist and award-winning author Pete Hamill evokes the essence of Sinatra - examining his art and his legend from the inside, as only a friend of many years could do. Shaped by Prohibition, the Depression, and war, Francis Albert Sinatra became the troubadour of urban loneliness. With his songs he enabled millions of others to tell their own stories, providing an entire generation with a sense of tradition and pride belonging distinctly to them.

Since exploding on the scene in the late 1970s, Journey has inspired generations of fans with hit after hit. But hidden under this rock 'n' roll glory is a complex story of ambition, larger-than-life personalities, and clashes. David Hamilton Golland unearths the band's true and complete biography, based on over a decade of interviews and thousands of sources.

From 1969 to 1971, as the United States convulsed with political upheaval and transformative social movements, no band was bigger than Creedence Clearwater Revival. They managed a two-year barrage of top-10 singles and LPs that doubled as an ubiquitous soundtrack to one of the most volatile periods in modern American history, and they remain a staple of classic rock radio and films about the era. Yet despite their enduring popularity, no book has ever sought to understand Creedence in conversation with their time. A Song for Everyone finally tells that story.

In the sublime embrace of a bygone era, where time waltzed to the cadence of delicate notes and orchestras whispered tales of grandeur, the Classical Period was poised to unveil its opulent tapestry. Picture a world where each musical phrase was a brushstroke, painting symphonies that echoed through the hallowed halls of history. This, dear reader, is the harmonic dawn, an epoch where genius and melody entwined in a dance that would echo for centuries. As we step into this celestial realm, let the overture of the past stir your soul, for the Classical Period beckons, and its melodies are ...

Tina Davidson is three-and-a-half when she is adopted from her foster home in Sweden by a visiting American professor. Soon she is the oldest of five children, living with her mother and stepfather in Turkey, Germany, and Israel. She studies music and becomes a prolific pianist and composer. But something about her birth remains unnamed and hidden. When she returns to Sweden, she contacts the Swedish adoption agency. “Come,” says the voice on the phone, “I have information for you.”

The definitive anthology of Jim Morrison's writings with rare photographs and numerous handwritten excerpts of unpublished and published poetry and lyrics from his 28 privately held notebooks.

Uncover the haunting stories behind the missing masterpieces of classical music in Richard Fleischman's The Lost Symphonies: Mysterious Deaths and Vanished Manuscripts. This gripping exploration takes readers deep into the mysteries of some of the greatest musical compositions that were never heard—or heard only in fragmentary form. From the tantalizing rumors of a “lost” symphony by Mozart to the shadowy figures surrounding the final works of Mahler and Beethoven, this book brings to light the eerie stories of vanishing manuscripts, suppressed symphonies, and compositions destroyed ...

Focus on more than 40 obscure composers from 18th century Classical Period and 20th century Neoclassical, drawn from Obscure Composers series, volumes 1, 2, and 3.

Brilliant, short-lived, incredibly prolific—Schubert is one of the most intriguing figures in music history. While his music attracts a wide audience, much of his private life remains shrouded in mystery, and significant portions of his work have been overlooked. In this major new biography, Lorraine Byrne Bodley takes a detailed look into Schubert's life, from his early years at the Stadtkonvikt to the harrowing battle with syphilis that led to his death at the age of thirty-one.

Dive into the enchanting world of opera where musical mastery meets literary brilliance! In "From Page to Stage: The Literature Behind Great Operas," seasoned violist and longtime principal player of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Richard Fleischman takes readers on an illuminating journey through the rich tapestry of stories that have inspired some of the most beloved operatic works in history. Drawing on decades of experience performing works by iconic composers like Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini, as well as witnessing the evolution of new operas—including the Grammy-winning Cold Mountain ...

As his mother was dying, Philip Kennicott began to listen to the music of Bach obsessively. It was the only music that didn't seem trivial or irrelevant, and it enabled him to both experience her death and remove himself from it. He spent the next five years trying to learn one of the composer's greatest keyboard masterpieces, the Goldberg Variations. In Counterpoint, he recounts his efforts to rise to the challenge, and to fight through his grief by coming to terms with his memories of a difficult, complicated childhood.

In Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die, Willie Nelson muses about his greatest influences and the things that are most important to him, and celebrates the family, friends, and colleagues who have blessed his remarkable journey. Willie riffs on everything, from music to poker, Texas to Nashville, and more. He shares the outlaw wisdom he has acquired over the course of eight decades, along with favorite jokes and insights from family, bandmates, and close friends.

From the author's first glimpse of a magical recording studio in the mid-1960s up through a busy career that continues to the present day, this rollicking story can only be told by those that were there. As the young tape operator on sessions for the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Joe Cocker at the famed Olympic Sound Studios in London, Phill learned the ropes from experienced engineers and producers such as Glyn Johns and Eddie Kramer.

In his time, the Austrian American composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) was an international icon. His twelve-tone system was considered the future of music itself. Today, however, leading orchestras rarely play his works, and his name is met with apathy, if not antipathy. With this interpretative account, the acclaimed biographer of Toscanini finally restores Schoenberg to his rightful place in the canon, revealing him as one of the twentieth century's most influential composers and teachers.