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Smiling Shelves

Top Ten Tuesday - Books About Music

5/19/2015

8 Comments

 
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This weekly frenzy of listing is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
Little known fact about me - I'm a music history geek. I started playing piano when I was five-years-old. I've been in band and choir pretty much my whole life. I was a music minor in college and briefly contemplated pursuing a Master's in Music History (what I would do with that degree is a whole different question). Music is still one of my passions, but my interest in music history has settled down enough to be satisfied by reading an occasional music-related book. For this freebie Top Ten Tuesday, I thought I would share some of the books about music that I've read and loved.
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Symphony by Jude Morgan (Historical fiction, telling the story of Hector Berlioz and the woman who inspired his most famous work, the Symphonie Fantastique.)
Imperfect Harmony: Finding Happiness Singing with Others by Stacy Horn (An exploration of the physical and emotional wonders of choral singing.)
A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano by Katie Hafner (As a pianist myself, I found this book absolutely fascinating. Who knew you could tweak the sound of a piano in so many different ways? My review.)
Strings Attached: One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations by Joanne Lipman & Melanie Kupchynsky (We've all had teachers who inspire us. When it's a music teacher, so much the better!)
The Cello Suites by Eric Siblin (This was a five-star read for me. It tells the story of Bach's Cello Suites, the Spanish cellist who rediscovered them, and Siblin's own journey to learn how to play the cello. My review.)
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The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thad Carhart (Pianos and Paris. What a perfect combination!)
Beethoven Remembered by Franz Wegeler and Ferdinand Ries (A book about Beethoven, written by two of his good friends. A music history lover's paradise!)
The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824 by Harvey Sachs (Beethoven's most famous symphony - the one with Ode to Joy - put into its historical context.)
Bach, Beethoven, and the Boys: Music History as it Ought to be Taught by David W. Barber (For those who like a little humor with their history.)
The Definitive Biography of P.D.Q. Bach by Peter Schickele (P.D.Q. Bach is the little-known 21st of Johann Sebastian Bach's 20 children. In other words, he's completely made up. And completely rolling-on-the-floor hilarious. Any music lover has to read this book!)
8 Comments
Kym link
5/19/2015 02:05:43 am

I just added some of these to my TBR list!

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
5/20/2015 01:41:25 pm

Glad I could help you add to the never-ending stack! :)

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Lois link
5/19/2015 03:42:20 am

Those all look so interesting! I love classical music (though I've branched out all over the place when it comes to music!) so these sound fascinating! After I took music appreciation in college I've always had more of an appreciation for the lives of the composers.
http://youmeandacupofteablog.blogspot.com/2015/05/top-ten-tuesday-freebie.html

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
5/20/2015 01:42:45 pm

I have a fascination with composers' lives, just like with the biographies of authors. I think the creative mind is what fascinates me. Must listen to more classical music! :)

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Marie link
5/19/2015 08:58:25 am

Great list! My hubby was a music major in college, and he continues to play 15+ different instruments. Sometimes at (in my mind) absurdly loud levels. lol I definitely added some of these books to my tbr list; I love having books that we can share an interest in. Thank you! I made my list on "Top Ten Books I've Read So Far in 2015." Here's my <a href="http://bookishginger.blogspot.com/2015/05/top-ten-tuesday_19.html">TTT</a>. Happy reading!

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
5/20/2015 01:44:17 pm

15 instruments? That's very impressive! I'm glad I could add to the ever-growing TBR list. :)

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fiddlrts
5/26/2015 09:57:30 am

If I were to recommend my top two music history books, they would be:

A Social History of Music by Henry Raynor.
The Rest Is Noise by Alex Ross, which is the best thing I have ever read on 20th Century classical music.

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
6/13/2015 05:43:59 am

I'll have to check those out. I'm not a fan of listening to 20th century classical music, but reading about it is a different story! :)

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    My name is Julie, and I own a lot of books. As in, they are stacked on the floor because I've run out of room on the shelves. And those shelves? There are so many books on them that they smile -- not sag; smile. This blog will cover book reviews and all manner of other bookish things.

    You can contact me at julie@smilingshelves.com.

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