No composer has ever achieved the amazing artistic progression that Haydn has. He invented the string quartet as we know it became known as 'the Father of the Symphony' and mentored the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His creative life was one of ceaseless experimentation and invention. Author David Hurwitz shows readers how to more fully enjoy Haydn's music acquainting them with the master's innovative melodic creativity revolutionary use of musical form and important characteristics of his personal style such as his genius for writing in minor keys and creating comedy in his music. Hurwitz explores Haydn's vocal music and instrumental masterpieces that fall outsidethe mainstream as well as his principle instrumental works. A special chapter of letters and quotations by the composer himself introduces the reader to Haydn the man. Four appendices list all of his symphonies string quartets Piano sonatas and Piano trios and specify their distinguishing characteristics. Two accompanying Naxos CDs provide more than two and a half hours of beautiful music keyed to pieces described in the book.

More than four decades since their first album and 35 years after the release of the iconic Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd continue to inspire and mystify rock fans around the world.Pink Floyd FAQ by pop culture author Stuart Shea lays out the band's strange winding history through a new series of prisms. What were the band's most memorable gigs? What are their greatest moments on record as a group and individually? What contemporary records influenced them and which performers follow in their wake? What was it like to be at a Pink Floyd show in 1967 in 1973 in 1980?Pink Floyd FAQ tells the band's story dissects their most popularwork and provides little-known facts all adding up to a provocative must-read for fans. With 400 pages of stories history observation opinion photos and reminiscences from those who were there Pink Floyd FAQ will discuss frankly what made the band great - as well as note their not-so-great moments - and their place in modern pop culture giving credit where credit is due - and maybe puncturing some inflatable pigs along the way.

Johann Sebastian Bach Volume I. This monumental study of Johann Sebastian Bach ranks among the great classics of musicology. Since its first publication in 1873-80, it has remained the basic work on Bach and the foundation of later research and study. The three-part treatment describes in chronological sequence practically everything that is known of the composer's life: his ancestry, his immediate family, his associations, his employers, and the countless occasions on which his musical genius emerged. Author Philipp Spitta accompanies this biographical material with quotations from primary sources: correspondence, family records, diaries, official documents, and more. In addition to biographical data, Spitta reviews Bach's musical production, with analyses of more than 500 pieces, covering all the important works. More than 450 musical excerpts are included in the main text, and a 43-page musical supplement illustrates longer passages. Despite the scholarly nature of this work, it also has the rare distinction of being a study that can be read with considerable enjoyment and great profit by every serious music lover, with or without a substantial background in the history of music or musical theory.

All That's Left to Know About The King's Recorded Works-Why is Elvis Presley's body of recorded work still so relevant nearly 60 years after he began recording? Elvis Music FAQ is for anyone who has been inspired by an Elvis Presley record. Following in the tradition of the FAQseries in Elvis Music FAQ a lot of rare information is woven together in one concise entertaining package.There are chapters about every year of Elvis's career including a look at his pioneering original recordlabel Sun; insight on his management; the continued importance of television in his career; a summation of each Presley concert tour; the inside scoop about the role Elvis's band members and songwriters played in his sound;stories about the amusing musical oddities created by those trying to ride on the Elvis success train; details about the contentious role drugs played in his career; and finally a full review of every record the King everissued.One might say that the only truths about Elvis Presley can be found in the grooves of his records where his natural talent and passion for music comes through always. Elvis Music FAQ aims to be the oneessential companion that explains the reason why the voice heard over the speakers still carries such resonance. Dozens of rare images accompany this engaging text.