Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Gift books

PERFECT PITCH

Tim Bouverie

100 Pieces of Classical Music to Know and Love

A book for anyone who wants to bring more classical music into their life and doesn't know where to start.

Nearly all of us have the capacity to enjoy classical music but too often we are put off by not knowing where to look, or what we are actually looking for. We feel the need of a guide to help navigate such vast and varied artistic terrain.

With this delightful book, historian Tim Bouverie provides just that. Drawing on his lifelong passion for music, he has created a compilation of 100 much-loved classical pieces to move and be enjoyed by almost anyone. Some are well-known, some more idiosyncratic, others just secret gems that need to be brought out into the light - all are intended to comfort and inspire. He provides a short introduction to each piece, and a recommended recording to try.

Highly accessible and entertaining, with none of the patronising, cliché-ridden tone of the technical musicologist, Perfect Pitch is filled with engrossing stories that bring to life 300 years of the world's greatest music.

Tim Bouverie is the author of the Sunday Times Bestseller and Orwell Prize shortlisted, Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War. A former political journalist for Channel 4 News, he regularly reviews history books and has been published in the Times, The Observer, The Wall Street Journal, Air Mail, Mail on Sunday, The Spectator and the Daily Telegraph. He is currently the Alistair Horne Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford.

Available products
Book Published 2021-10-07 by Short Books

Comments

A wonderful selection of music that nourishes the soul, giving comfort as well as joy. Both witty and profound, this is a book which provides insight into life as well as art

I think it's the most beautifully written explanation of classical music I have come across. The way Bouverie has put this together is "storytelling" in its most riveting form. I was totally enchanted by it - in so few words he brought me close to each of his human subjects - and to the music itself. It is both rich in detail, but also so brief (that's a real feat) and each essay left me on the edge of my seat, eager to hear the music. I learned a lot, and I felt a lot. It's both intellectually and emotionally satisfying - and that's before even listening to the music!

You are new to classical music? I can think of no better introduction. Devoid of jargon, free of musical notation, this is one man sharing a passion that began in childhood and will last a lifetime. You already know your classical music? I can think of no better companion, no more rewarding way of extending your own knowledge...This is one man's love of classical music explained and explored. Use it to create and stimulate your own love for the most personal and intimate art form of all.

This is exactly the book I want to read at the moment. Not necessarily for musicians, or even for people who have a smattering of knowledge of, and affection for, classical music, it is a treat from the very first page. The short essays are filled with brilliantly condensed things you should know about the composer, and are presented with style and humour. The choice of 100 pieces immediately starts you off a hunt for one's own favourites: the Spotify list is irresistible. It's a perfect introduction to classical music for a beginner, a companion for the music lover, and sheer entertainment for both