The Story of Classical Music

By: Darren Henley

Narrated by: Marin Alsop

The lives and music of the great composers of classical music unfold in this entertaining account, introduced by the conductor and musical personality Marin Alsop. In 1200 years, classical music grew from the chanting of medieval monks through the symphonies of Beethoven and the grand operas of Wagner to the huge orchestral sound-world of the 21st century, with its electronics and its film music. In her easy-going style, Marin Alsop paints vivid portraits of over 90 composers, each one illustrated with some of his, or her, most famous music.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2004 Darren Henley (P)2004 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Original Work and Achievement in Production, 2005

"Alsop's easygoing approach works well as she serves as a welcoming tour guide offering fun facts and interesting biographical sketches for listeners." (Publishers Weekly)
"This charming compilation is cheerfully hosted by the clear and friendly voice of Marin Alsop, who walks young (and curious adult) listeners through an engaging history of classical music." (AudioFile)

Made for kids but we liked it also.

My husband and I quite enjoyed listening to this while commuting. He is quite familiar with the music and composers but found it enjoyable and informative anyway.

the story of classical music

A must listening book for both adults and children, especially for school children. It is easy to be followed with very enjoyable music.

Great for 8 to 14 year olds

This is a very quick and somewhat simple journey, but for the target audience it is great.

Interesting, informative, easy

This is a perfect application for audiobooks -- a history of classical music along with samples from the works of the composers discussed. I was afraid I would be bored, but was informed and entertained start to finish. This is a very basic overview -- appropriate for children or adults with minimal background in classical music. It gave me a very good context for the music, both in time, geographically, and stylistically. One criticism: the sound quality of the music was not great.

Entertaining and informative

Geared toward children and beginners. It provides a nice overview and lots of samples of beautiful and important works. Not for those looking for a deep scholarly text but excellent for those interested in exploring the different periods and learning about some of the major composers. Enjoyable listen.