The History of Classical Music

This charming compilation is cheerfully hosted by the clear and friendly voice of Marin Alsop, who walks young (and curious adult) listeners through an engaging history of classical music. Alsop's commentary leads and follows ear-pleasing segments of great classical music, briskly recorded masterworks punctuating short biographies and observations. The language is clear and chatty, with a final disc featuring games and lots of interactive fare. A wonderful way to learn about the great names and histories of the world's great composers and musical movements. D.J.B. 2005 Spoken Word Grammy Nominee, 2005 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

Written directly for recording, this is a splendid overview of several centuries of Western classical music. The text is neatly divided into four parts. Early and twentieth-century music get equal time with the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. No previous musical knowledge is assumed. The cultured tones of British actor Powell lead the listener from plain chant to atonality with added snippets of social history and composers' biographies along the way. We learn, for instance, that concerts by castrati were "big box office," that Beethoven was "a man with a mission" and that the architecture of St. Mark's cathedral in Venice led to the development of antiphonal singing. Examples from Naxos's extensive archives of recorded performances complement the text far more effectively than would print equivalents. The enduring spirituality of music is stressed; and, indeed, as the notes of Arvo Pèrt's beautiful, contemporary Cantus fade at the end, one feels uplifted--and educated. J.G. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine