The Classic FM Concise Hall of Fame
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Review
We all need classical music. There's something here for every fan, from the casual listener to the serious aficionado. --Sir Simon Rattle
Classic FM listeners will find the stories behind their favourite pieces and the composers who wrote them fascinating; a superb introduction to the UK's best loved classical works. --Nicola Benedetti
The Classic FM Hall of Fame has undoubtedly caught the imagination, passion and enthusiasm of its listeners. This book is full of delightful stories, recommended recordings and hidden treasures. A must for the Hall of Fame aficionado. --Bryn Terfel
Classic FM listeners will find the stories behind their favourite pieces and the composers who wrote them fascinating; a superb introduction to the UK's best loved classical works. --Nicola Benedetti
The Classic FM Hall of Fame has undoubtedly caught the imagination, passion and enthusiasm of its listeners. This book is full of delightful stories, recommended recordings and hidden treasures. A must for the Hall of Fame aficionado. --Bryn Terfel
Product Description
What are the greatest pieces of classical music ever composed? Every music lover has a favourite, whether it is one that stirs you to joy or tears, that makes itself heard with marching refrains or delicately rises with soft flutes. Classical music reaches our ears in many forms, from the hauntingly memorable strains of the requiems by Fauré or Mozart, the passionately charged opening bars of Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 5', through the ballet with Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet' - now further immortalised by television's 'The Apprentice' - to the scores of Hollywood masterpieces such as James Horner's 'Titanic' and John Williams' 'Star Wars'. Based on fifteen years of selections by the listeners of Classic FM, 'The Classic FM Hall of Fame' presents the stories behind the 300 most loved pieces of classical music. From Holst's 'The Planets' to Pachelbel's 'Canon in D', this rich and varied collection features works from giants such as Mozart and Tchaikovsky, alongside contemporary masters, lesser-known treasures and the nation s favourite great British composers, including Vaughan Williams and Elgar. Tim Lihoreau, Darren Henley and Sam Jackson guide us through the world of classical music and the enduring compositions that occupy it. Combining fascinating histories and biographies, insights into the music, recommended recordings and the ranking of the 300 pieces themselves, 'The Classic FM Hall of Fame' is a beautifully illustrated testament to the enduring power of classical music to inspire us, to entertain, to relax and to move us.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
59 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Classic FM has two great qualities for which we should be grateful: firstly, its commitment to bringing the good news about classical music to the hitherto unconverted; secondly, its ability to surprise the already converted with gems of unsuspected interest, worth and beauty. This book embodies both these virtues. It provides a comprehensive introductory guide to an established canon of great music and it highlights a surprising number of works which fall outside the category of `popular classics'.
Of course one can always pick fault with what is included and what is left out. Where there is evangelism there is scope for dogmatic disputation. No Scarlatti? No Beethoven string quartets? On the other hand the book's Top 300 playlist includes whole operas and choral works rather than just cherry picking the best known and most `hummable' numbers. Mozart does particularly well here! There are also a number of interesting and unexpected inclusions. Rachmaninov's entry includes, unsurprisingly, the three piano concertos and the Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini. However the book also lists and gives a very well-written, thoughtful description of the All Night Vigil Vespers, conveying beautifully the tone of this lesser-known and profound work. No talk of `Rach One' here!
The book contains a wealth of factual detail about the composers, the works listed and the recommended recordings. Some of the commentaries on the works try too hard to be non highbrow and end up being simply bland - eg the slow movement of the Schubert String Quintet is described as a "corker"...but no more than that. On the other hand the detailed description of the dissonances in the Pergolesi Stabat Mater (representing nails being hammered into Christ's body) is vivid and illuminating.
Overall the book is very well conceived and put together. The various indexes and cross referencing are exhaustive. The high quality, hard back finish and silky paper suggest an item for the coffee table but its compact format means that it can to fit into a normal bookcase and is intended to be well-thumbed rather than admired. It would make an excellent present and I certainly can think of a number of musical friends and relatives who would be delighted to receive a copy.
Of course one can always pick fault with what is included and what is left out. Where there is evangelism there is scope for dogmatic disputation. No Scarlatti? No Beethoven string quartets? On the other hand the book's Top 300 playlist includes whole operas and choral works rather than just cherry picking the best known and most `hummable' numbers. Mozart does particularly well here! There are also a number of interesting and unexpected inclusions. Rachmaninov's entry includes, unsurprisingly, the three piano concertos and the Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini. However the book also lists and gives a very well-written, thoughtful description of the All Night Vigil Vespers, conveying beautifully the tone of this lesser-known and profound work. No talk of `Rach One' here!
The book contains a wealth of factual detail about the composers, the works listed and the recommended recordings. Some of the commentaries on the works try too hard to be non highbrow and end up being simply bland - eg the slow movement of the Schubert String Quintet is described as a "corker"...but no more than that. On the other hand the detailed description of the dissonances in the Pergolesi Stabat Mater (representing nails being hammered into Christ's body) is vivid and illuminating.
Overall the book is very well conceived and put together. The various indexes and cross referencing are exhaustive. The high quality, hard back finish and silky paper suggest an item for the coffee table but its compact format means that it can to fit into a normal bookcase and is intended to be well-thumbed rather than admired. It would make an excellent present and I certainly can think of a number of musical friends and relatives who would be delighted to receive a copy.
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is full of amazing facts! It doesn't matter where you open it, you will find something interesting and intriguing. For example, George Butterworth - I have long loved his "The Banks of Green Willow" without knowing anything about the composer. I learned that he died tragically young in the First World War, with his considerable musical potential unfulfilled.
Anyone who likes classical music will find plenty to interest them. Each of the 300 pieces comes with a recommended recording - very useful. The book has already introduced me to composers I did not know, as well as informing me about those I know and love. It is a beautifully produced book, with some lovely illustrations, and I thoroughly recommend it.
Anyone who likes classical music will find plenty to interest them. Each of the 300 pieces comes with a recommended recording - very useful. The book has already introduced me to composers I did not know, as well as informing me about those I know and love. It is a beautifully produced book, with some lovely illustrations, and I thoroughly recommend it.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
First this book is handsomely produced. It is not an academic text but it does give historical and anecdotal insights into composers and their music. It is well laid out, easy to use, and enhances listeneing pleasure. That's what it said on the tin.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Review of the Classic fM Hall of Fame.
This book is beautifully bound and contains 28 full page colour " modern art " illustrations of some of the works featured in the book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Vinyl junkie
Just Brilliant
I ordered this book from Amazon for my Christmas present from hubby and kids. I've sat listening to Hall Of Fame on ClassicFM this Easter weekend (2012) and got so much extra... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mrs. J. L. Wood
The Classic FM Hall of Fame
'Tis difficult to imagine a finer coffee-table book covering such a wide area of popular Classical music. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Silver Surfer 74
Very useful
This is a very nicely produced book that does just what it says - it tells you a bit about all the pieces in the Classic FM top 300 chart. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Picky reader
A Classical Enthusiast's Must-Have
I thoroughly recommend this book, both as a reference document and a good read. A statistical masterpiece of Classical Works' popularity over 15 years resulting in 300 items which... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. N. G. Timmins
Classic FM Hall of Fame Book vs Kindle version
Alas, it is not clear whether storage space and cheaper price are the only advantages of the Kindle version just released of this book. Read more
Published 4 months ago by George
roll over beethoven
A christmas present, just what was wanted, excellent delivery service. Recommended for quality, and service. Thank you Amazon I shall be ordering more.
Published 6 months ago by dai
classic buy
I have loved listening to classic fm but am not really well-read about the composers. This book gives plenty of reasonably easy to digest information about all the composers that... Read more
Published 11 months ago by im
Classic FM Hall of Fame
There wasn't very much on the "need to know" basis on this book beforehand as it was pretty obvious what the content would be although knowing the dimensions would have been... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mrs. E. M. Ball
The Classic FM Hall of Fame
This is an excellent hard backed book very well presented listing Classic FM audience choice over several years. There are some surprises like Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. Read more
Published 11 months ago by William N. Ruffell
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