The Story of Music by Howard Goodall

The Story of Music by Howard Goodall

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Summary

Music is an intrinsic part of everyday life, and yet the history of its development from single notes to multi-layered orchestration can seem bewilderingly specialised and complex. This title focuses on what changed when and why, picking out the discoveries that revolutionised man-made sound.

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The Story of Music by Howard Goodall

*** Accompanies BBC2's major new TV series and The Story of Music in 50 Pieces on Radio 3 *** Music is an intrinsic part of everyday life, and yet the history of its development from single notes to multi-layered orchestration can seem bewilderingly specialised and complex. In his dynamic tour through 40,000 years of music, from prehistoric instruments to modern-day pop, Howard Goodall does away with stuffy biographies, unhelpful labels and tired terminology. Instead he leads us through the story of music as it happened, idea by idea, so that each musical innovation – harmony, notation, sung theatre, the orchestra, dance music, recording, broadcasting – strikes us with its original force. He focuses on what changed when and why, picking out the discoveries that revolutionised man-made sound and bringing to life musical visionaries from the little-known Pérotin to the colossus of Wagner. Along the way, he also gives refreshingly clear descriptions of what music is and how it works: what scales are all about, why some chords sound discordant and what all post-war pop songs have in common. The story of music is the story of our urge to invent, connect, rebel – and entertain. Howard Goodall’s beautifully clear and compelling account is both a hymn to human endeavour and a groundbreaking map of our musical journey.
A lively zip through some 45 milennia -- Christopher Hart * Sunday Times *
Goodall is an engaging and erudite guide and this work is both accessible and illuminating -- Caroline Jowett * Daily Express *
Great length but still leavened with lively wit -- Sameer Rahim * Telegraph *
[Goodall] knows his stuff, and tells it well -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian *
Highly knowledgeable, and a brilliant communicator, Goodall has an infectious enthusiasm and is genuinely respectful of all forms of music * Good Book Guide *
HOWARD GOODALL is an Emmy, BRIT and BAFTA award-winning composer of choral music (Eternal Light: A Requiem), stage musicals (The Hired Man, Love Story), film and TV scores - among them The Vicar of Dibley, Q.I., Red Dwarf, Blackadder and Into the Storm. He was awarded the CBE in 2011 for service to music education.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780701187521
ISBN 10 0701187522
Title The Story of Music
Author Howard Goodall
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Hardback
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Year published 2013-01-10
Number of pages 368
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.