The History of Classical Music

Having been a fan of classical-style music for over fifty years, and read many books on the subject including biographies, I must say that I found 'The History of Classical Music' a first-class production. For the amateur student or enthusiastic beginner, it is perfectly paced and well pitched for them. The libretto is entertaining and not at all heavy. The story line, which moves along briskly, does not get bogged down in superfluous deep scholastic detail and thus maintains the interest and attention of the listener. Music, illustrating and supporting the spoken word, fades in and out in perfect harmony with the narrator Robert Powell. I was addicted to Roberts voice, and the entire production for the entire length of this 4 CD set. Extremely enjoyable, very entertaining and exceptionally satisfying.

Read the enclosed program that comes with these. If you've never studied music, get a laminated foldout at the local college bookstore on music theory. Be complete, in other words. And if the CD offers the program in several languages, traips dowm its libretto and watch the lyrics, for those entries. It is a pleasure to listen to lengthy histories of music, but don't let it get ahead of you. And when listening to the combinations of instruments, after perusing the list of its entries and how many you can try pin down. Don't worry if it's only musical instruments, though, and listen to where and when your instrument choice. These CDs are a pleasant joy, and, pardon the unintended pun, are very instrumental in helping to learn music, or as our ancient world progenitors, and right up to modern needs, take a break and fill the house with all the greats down through the ages, relaxed to. They weren't distracted by anything back then, except music, dance, writing, theatre, and drawing or painting. All of that demanded time and effort... and love and soul--all early world culture and movements. Only computers, TV, and the duties for all that modern entertainment forms are good -- but distraction. So, fill the house with musical geniuses when playing it on your CD player-- well, that's one beneficialModernity. Music and poetry go more hand in hand than any other art forms. Dive in and get absorbed...

A great recording. One of my favourite audio books. It incorporates dozens of musical excerpts. I just bought this on Audible but have owned it on disc for years.

I’m a music major, and I wanted an audio review for a music history class I recently took. This audio book covers things in high level. It also expands into details when needed. I recommend this book.

Sometimes I have a long car ride and I want to LEARN something. I put these CDs on and enter the world of music history. Great compilation.

I bought this for my wife who wants to understand more about the history of music. Myself, I am a musicologist with a graduate degree in that field. I found the presentation very fine, indeed, and the explainuiations clear and to the point but I did miss the documentation and a bit of footnoting, especially when it concerned the baroque and romantic periods. It would have been nice to have had some documented references, such as letters or reviews from the period or other comments, to highlight some of the interesting sources for such material. It would also make of the set a far better teaching tool.Still, I can highly recommend this set to anyone interested in learning more about the history of classical music. It is entertaining, informative, accurate and brilliantly presented and the narration is clear and crisp. A Job very well done, indeed.

4 CDs in this box and almost 5 hrs long. I ripped it to MP3 format and put them into my son's iphone. He can learn music history anytime.

I got the cds from a friend. I found it very concise and informative.. Being able to listen to the samples of the related pieces right on the spot makes it an apparent winner when compared with the books without audio support. I recommend it highly.

I love Robert Powell so I'm a bit biased on this. This audiobook is simply wonderful. Every music lover should have one.

This is beautifully read and the insertion of music clips makes the audio format ideal. Time is not treating 20th century classical music as kindly or attentively as this book which has a quarter (one CD) devoted to it but that reflects the author's setting when writing it. It is a really good listen when travelling.

I haven't listened to all 4 Cd's yet but have played the first two several times over and hopefully some of the facts have gone in! It is a nicely recorded album(s) and I don't think you will be disappointed. The other reviews on here are a lot better than mine so read them, I just wanted to say that I am happy with my purchase and that it would be a good teaching aid both for personal and classroom situations.

An enjoyable course in the history of music (classical) narrated by Rober Powell no less - hmm remembered him as one of the stupid detectives with Jasper Carrot in the sketch "The Detectives." His voice on these CDs is excellent though. You get 4 CDs for your money and it compliments the other series BBC Radio 4's "The Making of Music."

Robert Powell's narration is what makes this account of the history of classical music so engaging. The excerpts of music chosen to illustrate the text complement it effectively. I wasn't bored, I didn't fall asleep while listening. I've listened to it three times and have learnt something new every time. Excellent.