Elkhart's Brass Roots

Elkhart's Brass Roots Review

This comprehensive and elaborate book about the C. G. Conn Company, manufacturers of world famous band instruments was issued in a limited edition to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Mr. Conn's birth and the 120th anniversary of the founding of the company It is filled with wonderful photographs and an exhaustive history of the company.

Take the Lead -- Jazz (Book & CD) (Faber Edition: Take the Lead)

Take the Lead -- Jazz (Book & CD) (Faber Edition: Take the Lead) Review

Take the Lead is a terrific series of books for all instrumentalists, young and old. Eight jazz classics are arranged for each instrument as stand-alone solos, or all the instruments can play together. Each song includes chord symbols in concert pitch for use by piano or guitar, or the player can use the full backing track from the CD as accompaniment. The CD also includes tuning notes and full version demonstration tracks of each song to help each musician learn the song. It's a great all-around package at a great price, and perfect for the band student who is looking for more music to play, especially as an introduction to jazz.

The Organ As a Mirror of Its Time: North European Reflections, 1610-2000 Text & CD

The Organ As a Mirror of Its Time: North European Reflections, 1610-2000 Text & CD Review

Because it has always represented a rich collaboration of the music, art, architecture, handicraft and science of its day, the organ, more than any other instrument, continues to reflect the spirit of the age in which it was built. The Organ as a Mirror of its Time, the first book to consider this instrument's historical and cultural significance, reflects the efforts of twenty leading scholars of the organ.
The book chronicles the history of six organs in Scandinavia and Northern Germany, at least one specimen for every century from 1600 to the present. By considering their original contexts and their histories since they were built, as well as the extraordinary coincidences that link them together, the book offers a unique perspective on the cultural history of northern Europe. A CD with appropriate repertoire played on each of the six instruments accompanies the book.

George Szell: A Life of Music (Music in American Life)

George Szell: A Life of Music (Music in American Life) Review

 

This book is the first full biography of George Szell, one of the greatest orchestra and opera conductors of the twentieth century. From child prodigy pianist and composer to world-renowned conductor, Szell's career spanned seven decades, and he led most of the great orchestras and opera companies of the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the NBC and Chicago Symphonies, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and Opera, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra. A protégé of composer-conductor Richard Strauss at the Berlin State Opera, his crowning achievement was his twenty-four-year tenure as musical director of the Cleveland Orchestra, transforming it into one of the world's greatest ensembles, touring triumphantly in the United States, Europe, the Soviet Union, South Korea, and Japan.

 

Michael Charry, a conductor who worked with Szell and interviewed him, his family, and his associates over several decades, draws on this first-hand material and correspondence, orchestra records, reviews, and other archival sources to construct a lively and balanced portrait of Szell's life and work from his birth in 1897 in Budapest to his death in 1970 in Cleveland.

 

Readers will follow Szell from his career in Europe, Great Britain, and Australia to his guest conducting at the New York Philharmonic and his distinguished tenure at the Metropolitan Opera and Cleveland Orchestra. Charry details Szell's personal and musical qualities, his recordings and broadcast concerts, his approach to the great works of the orchestral repertoire, and his famous orchestrational changes and interpretation of the symphonies of Robert Schumann. The book also lists Szell's conducting repertoire and includes a comprehensive discography.

 

In highlighting Szell's legacy as a teacher and mentor as well as his contributions to orchestral and opera history, this biography will be of lasting interest to concert-goers, music lovers, conductors, musicians inspired by Szell's many great performances, and new generations who will come to know those performances through Szell's recorded legacy.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Composition

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Composition Review

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Composition Feature

• Book
• By Michael Miller
• Format Book

Write the songs that make the whole world sing.

A step-by-step guide to writing music, this book shows musicians how to compose simple chord progressions and melodies, and leads them through more advanced compositional techniques and musical forms. Designed for composers of all types of music, it includes instruction on composing stand-alone melodies, using different scales and modes, themes and variations, orchestration, and composing for film, theater, and videogames.
-Perfect complement to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Songwriting
-Includes a comprehensive glossary of musical terms, as well as an appendix of various computer-based composition tools
-Easy-to-use oversize trim

Jazz Saxophone: An In-Depth Look at the Styles of the Tenor Masters

Jazz Saxophone: An In-Depth Look at the Styles of the Tenor Masters Review

Jazz Saxophone: An In-Depth Look at the Styles of the Tenor Masters Feature

• Published by Hal Leonard 80 Pages
• Book/CD Pack by Dennis Taylor
• Author: Dennis Taylor

This book/CD pack is solely devoted to providing you with a complete overview of the techniques and styles popularized by the greatest jazz tenor saxophonists of all time. All the best are here: from the cool bebop excursions of Dexter Gordon, to the stellar musings of John Coltrane, with more than a dozen master players examined in between. Includes lessons, music, historical analysis and rare photos, plus a CD with 16 full-band tracks!

Getting the Most Out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works - Unlocking the Masters Series, No. 3

Getting the Most Out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works - Unlocking the Masters Series, No. 3 Review

In this book, Hurwitz takes the reader/listener through Mozart's chamber and orchestral music. This music doesn't sound like anyone else's - only Mozart could have written it. What makes it so special and how to enjoy it are explored. The CD contains excerpts from BMG Classics Recordings.