"A book together with CDs that will show you how to enjoy classical music."

British composer, Benjamin Britten, so aptly described music when he stated: "It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful. It has beauty of loneliness & of pain: of strength & freedom. The beauty of disappointment & never satisfied love. The cruel beauty of nature, & everlasting beauty of monotony." Apparently, according to the Columbia World of Quotations, Britten wrote this while listening to the "Abschied" Mithe finale of Mahler's song cycle, Das Lied von der Erde.

Unfortunately, due to little or no knowledge, many of us are unable to appreciate all of the above elements that are vital ingredients of classical music.

Fret no longer. At last we have a book entitled THE CLASSICAL MUSIC EXPERIENCE accompanied by two CDs that will uncover for us the unbelievable creativity of forty- two renowned composers. According to the author, Julius H. Jacobson II, M.D, (who, incidentally, is an internationally known vascular surgeon) "this book is the first of its kind-largely a discussion of a beginning basic repertoire (those compositions most often heard at orchestral or chamber music concerts) with excerpts of each on the accompanying compact discs."

One of the author's inspirations to write this book originated from his patient, the eminent musicologist, Arthur Cohn, who believed that a book on classical music written by a non-musicologist might serve an unmet purpose for the neophyte listener. What is also noteworthy is that actor Kevin Kline is the narrator on the CDs. I guarantee you- his melodious voice will not put you to sleep, as is the case very often when listening to some audio books.

A valuable feature is that you can open any page, and you will be fascinated by the abundance of interesting tidbits pertaining to the composers. It should be noted that each chapter is only a few pages long, and is accompanied by black and white photos of the composers as well as highlighted sidebars containing definitions, dates, and other data.

Did you know that Mozart's father was not very happy with his son's refusal to conform to social conventions? However, he was delighted when he heard Joseph Hayden state these now famous words: "Before God, and as an honest man, I tell you your son is the greatest composer known to me." The author mentions that the document containing this quote fetched 138,000 English Pounds ($210,000US) at a Sotheby's auction in May 1993.

Conveniently divided into 42 sections, the book dates each of the composers, and indicates the compositions you can listen to on the accompanying CDs.

The book concludes with an Afterword presenting a general perspective. There is also an appendix of a list of works most frequently repeated in the author's collection, and also suggestions as to how to catalogue the recordings.

For the novice, and even the more experienced, THE CLASSICAL MUSIC EXPERIENCE, will prove to be an invaluable enrichment of your appreciation of the wonderful world of classical music.

Reviewed by Norman Goldman
Courtesy Bookpleasures
Posted May 13, 2003