The Story of the Orchestra: Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music! by Robert T. Levine, Meredith Hamilton (Illustrator)

Product Details

Synopsis

Eye-catching illustrations, engaging text and delightful musical selections on the accompanying 70-minute CD lead children ages 8 to 12 (and parents, too!) on an exciting and educational tour through the instruments and music of the orchestra. Illustrated in exquisite and colorful detail with over 100 original drawings and photographs, this package is a fun and exciting musical journey for children. The engaging text is broken into three sections: an introduction to each instrument of the orchestra from the cello to the timpani, the stories of famous composers from Bach to Stravinsky and an explanation of different musical styles from Baroque to Modern. Each step of the way, children can listen to actual musical examples of what they are learning about. Young readers will hear the sound of an actual violin as they study the instrument and enjoy the playful tune of a Mozart minuet as they read about the composer's precocious exploits as a child.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-Orchestra Bob guides readers through a delightful musical journey. The book is divided into two major parts: composers from Vivaldi to Bernstein and their associated musical periods, and the instruments of the orchestra. There are interesting and sometimes humorous bits of information about the men, their music, and corresponding historical events. The last two pages introduce the conductor. Quotations, boxed definitions, and the captions that accompany the colorful photos and spot cartoon drawings enhance the instructive text. In some places, however, the drawings are in stark contrast to the photos and take away from the overall appearance of a page. An accompanying CD provides musical selections for readers to listen to at specific places in the text. These selections are short enough to keep young listeners' attention. Although some well-known figures, such as Handel, Schubert, and Strauss, are missing, this is a fun way to travel through the world of music.-Susan Shaver, Hemingford Public Schools, NE Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Biography

Author Robert Levine is an internationally known music and travel writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications. He was the co-editor of Records' Classical Pulse! Magazine, helped launch and was the Senior Editor-in-chief of Andante.com, a world wide web site devoted to every aspect of classical music and musicians. He attends his operas and symphonies in New York.

Illustrator Meredith Hamilton has drawn and painted for numerous companies including Visa International, W. W. Norton and Doubleday. She was an art director at Newsweek, and has an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Her whimsical illustrations have been used in television ads, animations and books, including The Story of the Orchestra, A Child’s Introduction to Poetry and A Child’s Introduction to the Night Sky. She lives with her two children and husband in Brooklyn, New York.