Story of the Orchestra: Listen While You

Listen to the greatest works in classical music and hear each instrument of the orchestra and learn fun facts about the music, composers and musicians, including: Bach wasn't famous until 100 years after he died. Some people think that years of playing the oboe can make you crazy. Beethoven was totally deaf by the time he wrote the famous 9th Symphony. Copland composed at night and on weekends and had a day job as an insurance agent. Play track 1 to hear Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries. This is the moment in grand German opera that everyone finds easy to make fun of: In the mythological world of Wagner's opera Die Walkure, nine sisters (yes, the ones wearing horned helmets) on horseback fallen heroes. The looks may be silly, but the music is powerful, thrilling and vivid- the galloping of the horses is almost visual in the music. Size 0.57" H x 10.48" L x 10.18" W, 96 pages