The more you know about classical music, the more you love it. Now, thanks to Classical Music For Dummies, you can achieve a whole new level of insight into both the composers and the compositions that have made classical music one of the great accomplishments of humankind. Classical Music For Dummies doesn't assume that you have a degree in musicology -- or even that you took a course in music appreciation. Rather, the multimedially gifted David Pogue and renowned conductor Scott Speck explain classical music in terms you can understand, and they describe musical elements so that you can hear them for yourself. A reference you can dip into at any point, Classical Music For Dummies covers such topics as * The various forms that classical music takes -- from symphonies to string quartets * What goes on behind the scenes and on stage to fill a concert hall with great classical music * How to recognize, by sight and by sound, the many instruments that make up an orchestra * The nuts and bolts of classical music -- from rhythm to harmonic progression Plus, Classical Music For Dummies comes complete with a CD containing over 60 minutes of masterpieces compiled especially for the book. The CD also includes a demo version of the Angel/EMI Classics For Dummies TM multimedia interface to try out on your Windows-based PC or Macintosh computer.

About the Author

David Pogue studied music at Yale and has been a conductor on Broadway. He is also the bestselling author of Macs For Dummies. Scott Speck is a faculty member of the American Symphony Orchestra League's National Conducting Workshops.

Table of Contents

Preface. Foreword. Introduction. Part I: Welcome to the Classics. Chapter 1: Prying Open the Classical Music Oyster. Chapter 2: The Entire History of Music in 80 Pages. Chapter 3: How to Spot a Sonata. Part II: Listen Up! Chapter 4: Dave 'n' Scott's E-Z Concert Survival Guide. Chapter 5: A Spin through Your Free CD. Part III: A Field Guide to the Orchestra. Chapter 6: Keyboards & Co. Chapter 7: Strings Attached. Chapter 8: Gone with the Woodwinds. Chapter 9: The Top (And Bottom) Brass. Chapter 10: Percussion's Greatest Hits. Part IV: Backstage in the Composer's Brain. Chapter 11: The Dreaded Music Theory Chapter. Chapter 12: Once More, with Feeling: Tempo, Dynamics, and Orchestration. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 13: The Ten Most Common Misconceptions about Classical Music. Chapter 14: The Ten Best Musical Terms for Cocktail Parties. Chapter 15: Ten Great Chamber Music Pieces. Chapter 16: Ten Great Classical Music Jokes. Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Go Beyond This Book. Part VI: Appendixes. Appendix A: Starting a Classical Music Collection. List 1: Old Favorites. List 2: MILD on the Taste Meter. List 3: MEDIUM on the Taste Meter. List 4: MEDIUM HOT on the Taste Meter. List 5: HOT on the Taste Meter. Appendix B: Classical Music Timeline. Appendix C: Glossary Index. About the CD. Book Registration Information.