Jeffrey D. Lependorf

I know nothing about music except that I like it. Thus I approached this set of six disks accompanied by a written booklet with trepidation, fearing a dry and recondite approach to music that would be beyond me. Imagine my delight then to hear familiar masterpieces actually explained in an understandable, engaging, and often humorous manner. Frequently the author even talks overtop the music to point out what you should be hearing when, which is great for someone who doesn’t know an oboe from an artichoke.

For each selection, we hear a little background about the composer, the culture at the time, and snippets of the music along with explanations. How much more enjoyable the music is now with some comprehension!

Divided into twelve lectures, the works covered include Vivaldi (The Seasons), J.S. Bach (The Brandenburg Concertos), Handel (Messiah), Mozart (A Little Night Music), Beethoven (Fifth Symphony), Berlioz (Symphonie Fantastique), Chopin (Nocturne in D-Flat), Brahms (Concerto in D Major), Wagner (Prelude to Tristan and Isolde), Mussorgsky (Pictures at an Exhibition), Debussy (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun), Stravinsky (Rite of Spring), Ravel (Mother Goose Suite), and Copland (Appalachian Spring Suite).

If you listen in the car, you’ll want to bang on the steering wheel and tap your feet. Just watch out for that gas pedal!… (plus d'informations)