Listen to the Music – serie

Press the buttons to hear the music in this time-travelling journey around the world, as young readers embark on a magical adventure through the history of music!Stopping off at 10 key chronologically organised moments in history, in different places around the world, readers meet a great musician in each, and can press their instruments to hear a clip of their musical masterpieces!From 1600s England, where you can hear the harpsichord play Greensleeves, to 18th Century Munich, where you can hear Mozart's piano sonata, to a classical Indian raga in 1700s Udaipur, to New York in the 1940s, where readers can press Charlie Parker's saxophone to hear bebop Jazz, this book will teach children about cultural history, famous musicians and musical genres all while wanting to press the buttons and hear the music again and again.Each musician tells you about where they live, how their music was inspired, and what it means to them, teaching children about the origins of these most magical melodies.A great playtime or bedtime read, complete with a soundtrack that tracks key moments in musical history, children will love to listen to the most beautiful and important, genre defining bars of music time and time again.

Press the buttons to hear the music in this time-travelling journey around the world, as young readers embark on a magical adventure through classical music!Covering 10 different, beloved orchestral instruments, from different pieces from around the world, readers hear music composed and can press them to hear clips of musical masterpieces!From Elgar's Cello Concerto to a violin sonata by Beethoven, this book will teach children about cultural history, famous musicians and musical genres, all while wanting to press the buttons and hear the music again and again.Each of the ten composers throughout the story tells children about their favourite instrument, how it makes them feel, and what animals or moods they thought of as they were writing the piece of music.This is a beautiful first introduction to the history of music as told to the tune of the key instruments in the orchestra. Perfectly pitched to inspire and instil a love of music from a young age, this book will strike a chord with curious children who might be thinking about choosing a first instrument to learn.

Listen to the Music: The Composers is an interactive journey through music history, bringing young readers up close to the world’s most famous composers.Meet Antonio Vivaldi as he gets inspired by the birdsong of spring, take a woodland walk with Ludwig van Beethoven, see Clara Schumann at her piano recital, and enjoy the sounds of the big band with William Grant Still. In each scene, you’ll read a short snippet about the composer and the story behind their most beloved pieces, before pressing the button to hear the piece performed. At the back of the book, you’ll find a detailed introduction to each piece and its composer, with suggestions of what to listen out for.Here are the expertly picked pieces you’ll find in Listen to the Music: The Composers:Antonio Vivaldi, ‘Spring’Ludwig van Beethoven, ‘Symphony No. 9 in D Minor’Frédéric Chopin, ‘Fantaisie-impromptu in C-Sharp Minor’Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, ‘Swan Theme’George Frideric Handel, ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, ‘Violin Concerto in D Major’Clara Schumann, ‘Three Romances’Johann Strauss II, ‘The Blue Danube’Nikolai Romsky-Korsakov, ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’William Grant Still, ‘Afro-American’You can meet the composers in chronological order, or turn to your favourite pieces again and again, at your own pace. With beautiful hand-painted illustrations and magical musical buttons, Listen to the Music: The Composers is the perfect introduction to classical music for young ears.