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Title: Bach

Author: Darren Henley

Narrator: Marin Alsop

Format: Unabridged

Length: 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-05-13

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story from the Famous Composers collection.

Following on the success of The Story of Classical Music, Darren Henley and Marin Alsop combine forces again to tell, in more detail, the lives of six key composers: Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Dvorak, and Shostakovich. Their colourful lives and their love of music are told against the backdrop of some of their finest works, an ideal combination.

Editorial Reviews:

David Henley profiles the life and career of the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach in this selection from his Famous Composers collection. Aimed at young listeners and novices alike, Henley crafts a gripping narrative of interesting tidbits from Bach's life that segues nicely into examples of Bach's work. The backstories behind certain pieces will be particularly illuminating. Marin Alsop keeps with Henley's easygoing tone with a casually informative tone that seems to revel in Bach's work. Her genial attitude is infectious, making this biography both fun and educational.

Critic Reviews:

2005 Audie Award Winner, Original Work

Members Reviews:

An introduction to the lives of 6 Great Composers with music!

This is a delightful audible book on the lives of 6 famous composers for grades 3-6. Along with a biography of the artist there are samples of the composers works to introduce young people to classical music.

The composers are:1.Vivaldi

2.Bach

3.Mozart

4.Beethoven

5.Dvorak

6.Shostakovich

Each section explains the challenges and eccentricities of the famous composer and it will keep children entertained. Marin Alsop does a wonderful job of narrating along with the occasional sound effects thrown in for good measure.

I recently took a classical music course for adults and it awoke in me a new love of classical music and I believe this book could do the same for young people.

Very Interesting!

My 10-year-old son LOVES listening to these CDs, and I have to admit that my husband and I both enjoy them as well. Many hours in the car have been pleasant because my son is engaged in listening. The accounts of each composer are tastefully done and give quite a bit of interesting detail into the composer's life and personality. We have checked them out from our library many times and my son would now like us to purchase them because he enjoys listening to them so much. I only wish they would make more as there are many more composers still to study.

Embarrassingly bad, even for a seven-year old

This is clearly a presentation intended for children, but it is not indicated what age group is being targeted. The narration assumes no sophistication on the part of the listener, nor does it attempt to broaden or encourage more focused listening skills on the part of the child. Among the musical selections played are the most un-Shostakovichian work of the composer's, the variations on "Tea for Two" and the Romance from the film Gadfly, evidently in an attempt to sweeten the presentation. A portion of the Second Piano Concerto is played, and then the child is asked if the quote of the song, "What Do We Do With A Drunken Sailor" was heard in the score. Why in the world would a child be familiar with this somewhat esoteric World War II era song? A recording of the song outside its compositional context should have been played, which would have made the concerto example more meaningful. But this opportunity was overlooked.