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Listener’s Guides Book and free CD
74941 BRAHMS: A Listener’s Guide Book and
CD by John Bell Young From the ‘Unlocking the Masters’ series, the paperback includes a free full length audio CD. Johannes Brahms was one of the 19th century’s preeminent composers and was widely hailed as Beethoven’s true successor. But his open disdain for programme music set him in opposition to the
followers of Liszt and Wagner. Today Brahms is an audience favourite and here we are guided through a wide selection of his works in detail culminating in a discussion of his beloved German Requiem. Young’s thoughtful commentary considers aspects of his life including the views of his peers and complex relationships with women. The CD features performances from the Music & Arts and Gallo labels plus recordings made specifically for this book. 154pp in paperback.
£18.50 NOW £6
74985 PUCCINI: A Listener’s Guide Book and
CD by John Bell Young The pianist John Bell Young has performed throughout the world and is a widely published music critic. Here, in entertaining and accessible style, he takes readers through Puccini’s most popular operas, from the boudoir intrigue of Manon Lescaut to the tender young love of La Bohème and from the
shattered innocence of Madama (sic) Butterfly to the violent passions of Tosca, Turandot and more. The world of opera would look very different without the genius of Giacomo Puccini. His operas have become mainstays of the repertoire, and music lovers return to them again and again for sweeping drama and unforgettable melodies such as O mio babbino caro and Nessun dorma. Blended with the description of each opera’s story are distinctive insights into musical detail, character development and social and historical circumstances. An accompanying CD contains highlights of the work discussed, so readers can experience for themselves the compelling music of one of opera’s most beloved composers. 214 paperback pages with glossary and CD track listing, INCLUDES FREE CD.
$18.50 NOW £7
74936 BACH’S CHORAL MUSIC: A Listener’s Guide Book and CD by Gordon Jones
From the excellent ‘Unlocking the Masters’ series published by the Hal Leonard Press, the paperback includes a full length CD. Johannes Sebastian Bach produced a remarkable body of works for chorus. He wrote hundreds of cantatas and many other pieces for
choir including motets, oratorios, passions and liturgical works in Latin. One of these, the celebrated Mass in B Minor, is considered by many to be the crowning glory not merely of his career but of all music ever written. Here Gordon Jones aims to demystify Bach’s choral music and enrich the listening experience for those who know the music well. He examines 30 of his greatest cantatas with several other works including the monumental Passions of St. John and St. Matthew. The CD highlights several pieces discussed. 160pp in paperback with free CD. £18.95 NOW £6
for his shoes, Andy began performing at the age of seven as one quarter of the Williams Brothers. They graduated from church halls and a funeral parlour to mid- Western radio stations and found fame in Hollywood movies and a headlining nightclub act that was the sensation of its era. After going solo, Andy endured his wilderness years barely scraping a living in ‘rust-belt’ supper clubs to re-emerge as one of the greatest TV and recording stars of his era. Revelatory, honest, funny and touching. 308pp, paperback, photos. £12.99 NOW £4.50
72886 l,000 RECORDINGS TO HEAR BEFORE
YOU DIE: A Listener’s Life List by Tom Moon He presents the entries dictionary-style, alphabetically by artist. There are genre indices at the back, but Moon hopes that adventurous readers will flip through the pages, find something at random that looks interesting, seek out the music and ‘have an unexpected eureka! moment’. From classical to jazz, opera to hip-hop, techno-ska to heavy metal, folk to R and B, and from Abba and Amy Winehouse to Frank Zappa via Bach, Chopin and the Comedian Harmonists, here are a vast 1,007 informed and opinionated paperback pages illus. websites.
£19.95 NOW £2 72206 PENGUIN GUIDE TO THE 1000 FINEST
CLASSICAL RECORDINGS by Ivan March et al Sub-titled ‘The Must-Have CDs and DVDs’. The generous selection contains every kind of music, from the medieval to the modern period, and readers will discover new areas they had not previously considered. It also includes an essay on downloads, a history of recording and sections on composers, ballet and opera as well as a list of abbreviations to facilitate your search. There is a historical timeline for opera, and another timeline for key composers who are included in the authors’ choices. Alphabetically listed by composer. From Adolphe Adam to Alexander von Zemlinsky. 409 paperback pages. £20 NOW £3.50
72303 ROCK HARDWARE: 40 Years of Rock Instrumentation
by Tony Bacon and Paul Trynka The dominance of rock music in the 20th century owed as much to advances in sound technology as to celebrity scandals. The electric guitar arrived in the 1950s, but Jazz players used Gibson’s hollow-body instrument while Blues players were much quicker to pick up on the solid body and it took two decades before players were realising its full potential. Covers also keyboards, drums, brass and recording gear. 144pp, softback, colour photos.
£19.50 NOW £2.50 72304 ROCK ROADIE
by James “Tappy” Wright and Rod Weinberg These memoirs of Tappy Wright, road manager for The Animals and later for Jimi Hendrix, created a sensation on their publication in 2009, claiming as they do that Hendrix was in fact murdered by a vengeful colleague. The Animals could have all the women they wanted, but internal relations in the band were strained. One night Tappy was told to pull the van over so that Eric Burdon could sack Chas Chandler, though when Chas burst into tears they gave him a second chance. Encounters with Elvis, Little Richard, Jayne Mansfield and Ike and Tina Turner are all in a day’s work. 236pp. $25.99 NOW £2.75
72388 CHOPIN PIANO WORKS: Six CDs by Artur Rubinstein and Chopin From the introduction by Hugo Sharley in the accompanying booklet, we learn that Artur Rubinstein (1887-1982) was born in Poland and was perhaps most fêted for his highly idiomatic, uniquely poetic interpretations of the music of Chopin, very much Poland’s national composer. This collection brings together recordings from the important middle years of his career, the earliest, the Nocturnes, recorded for HMV in 1937. Includes also Ballades, Mazurkas, Preludes, Polonaises and Waltzes. 6 CD set. ONLY £12
72542 STRINGS ATTACHED: The Life and
Music of John Williams by William Starling One of the world’s great guitarists, John Williams’s early life was dominated by his father Len, himself a jazz guitarist. When John played for Segovia at the age of 12 he was given a place at Segovia’s guitar summer school in Siena, where he returned every year and became friends with Daniel Barenboim. Studying with Segovia, Williams met Julian Bream, six years his senior, who was to become a great friend and collaborator. In 1952 Len Williams founded the Spanish Guitar Centre. At 17 John made a bid for independence by moving into his own flat with friends. The book also covers John’s work commissioning new music, his collaborations, his marriages and his political views. 400pp, photos, discography. £25 NOW £5
72828 DANCE TO THE MUSICALS: The Fun Way to Fitness by Arlene Phillips
Dancing is not only wonderful for fitness and toning, because the combination of cardiovascular exercise and music also triggers the release of endorphins which makes you feel great at the same time. As adults, we have lost that ability and Arlene Phillips - of Strictly Come Dancing fame has set ten dance routines including: The Time Of My Life, We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia and Night Fever. Clear, easy-to-follow instructions, and step-by-step photography. 224 pages 26cm x 21.5cm, colour illus, PLUS FREE DVD with four routines to Hairspray, Grease, Fame, and Joseph. £18.99 NOW £4
73082 FRENCH TANGOS FOR PIANO by Uri Ayn Rovner
The tango is a ballroom dance of Latin American origin characterised by long pauses and stylised body positions. With full musical scores, this 60 page very large softback will lie flat at the piano or on the music stand and provides arrangements which are romantic using sometimes avant-garde harmonies supporting emotional melodies. They include a Tango Gitano, Sacre Tango and La Paloma and a list is given of the approximate order of playing level for each tango with easiest titles continuing to the more advanced. 64 page large softback.
£9.95 NOW £4 73223 DVD BOOK OF PAVAROTTI: Pavarotti
Live in Barcelona 75th Anniversary Edition written by Guy Cavill
October 12th 2010 marked the 75th anniversary of the birth of Luciano Pavarotti. This DVD Book of Pavarotti covers the whole life of this pre-eminent opera singer, from the first performances to the televised concerts he gave in the 1990s, singing at stadiums and great open spaces. The DVD runs for 78.14 minutes and encompasses the concert recorded live at the Gran Teatre Del Liceu, with Leone Magiera on piano, plus interview, biography, discography and list of songs, including such favourites as O Sole Mio and Una Furtiva Lagrima. 77 pages with DVD Play List, Recordings of Complete Operas and First Performances of Operatic Roles, with photos in colour and b/w. £12.99 NOW £4
74409 PIGS MIGHT FLY: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd by Mark Blake
Meticulous, exacting and as ambitious as any Pink Floyd album, this first full-length history of the group for over 15 years is the definitive account of one of the most adventurous, and at the same time most English of rock bands. It tells how a group of Cambridge school friends went on to conquer the world with classic albums like Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, and put on some of the most spectacular shows of all time. Here they are in Sausalito California, during their debut US tour, in Germany, the Netherlands, Canada - all over the world, in fact - not to mention Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall. In July 2005 Pink Floyd performed together on stage for the first time in 24 years. Almost a year later, reclusive founder-member Syd Barrett died. 422 paperback pages, colour photos. £9.99 NOW £5
73224 ELVIS IN WORDS AND PICTURES: Book and Six Free Prints by Adam Powley
If you get All Shook Up by Elvis, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, you will not be able to resist this super history charting his meteoric rise, his spell in the army and his success in the 1960s. Take a front seat for Elvis’s movie career and his Las Vegas heyday and mourn the King’s end on that sad and unforgettable day in 1977. A big picture book, 64pp in glamorous softback packed with
colour photos and information and in addition there are two mono and four colour prints each measuring 8" x 10" and ready for framing. £9.99 NOW £3.50
73569 A NATURAL WOMAN: A Memoir by Carole King
One of the most successful female singer-songwriters of her time, Carole King has recorded 25 solo albums and holds the record for the longest time for an album by a female to remain in the charts and the longest time for an album by a female to hold the number 1 position. From her beginnings as a teenage songwriter who hid from the spotlight, to her first time timidly singing lead in front of an audience, to her present-day status. She chronicles her extraordinary career, taking readers deep into the world of music from the 1960s through to today. Woven throughout are her deeply personal and revealing descriptions of her childhood in Brooklyn, her experience as a young bride and mother, her subsequent moves all over the country, and the relationships with men and fellow musicians that shaped her character. 488 pages, photos.
£20 NOW £8.50
73913 MORESCHI AND THE VOICE OF THE CASTRATO
by Nicholas Clapton
Alessandro Morechi (1858-1922) is unique, as he was the last representative of the castrato - an act of cruelty that nevertheless produced some of the greatest singers the world has ever known - and the only one of whom recordings were made (two, in 1902 and 1904) and are still in existence. Behind the extraordinary sound of Moreschi’s unique voice there lay a strange and lonely life. As well as the life, career, personality and achievements of Moreschi himself, we learn all about the history of castrati and the operatic traditions that needed them. The final section examines in detail the acoustics and psychology of the castrato voice and the pieces of music that were written specifically for it. Photos, 353pp. £16.99 NOW £5.50
NATURE
Each creature of the world, Is as a book, a picture, And a mirror to us.
- Alan of Lille
74917 HEDGEROWS HEAPED WITH MAY: The Telegraph
Book of the Countryside edited by Stephen Moss Even though opinions may differ, the countryside is hugely important to us. The Daily Telegraph, which can count plenty of all types of rural aficionados among its readership, has long championed the delights of the countryside and chronicled its issues and ever-changing fortunes.
From the early 1960s up until his death in 1983, Telegraph readers were treated to “Country Talk”, a fortnightly essay from one John Hugh Brignal Peel, penned from his home on Exmoor. This archetypal countryman began a tradition of country writing in the Telegraph that continues to this day with the robust good sense of Robin Page. Down the years there have been many other contributors, many famous, many less so, but all with a point of view eloquently presented. This unputdownable anthology brings together some 150 essays, letters, regular columns, obituaries and articles that tackle everything from the rarity of the spoonbill and the bug-hunter’s paradise that is Canvey Island to the onslaught of wind turbines and why new roads and cars are the countryside’s saviours (that’ll be James May, then). Distinguished naturalists like Richard Mabey rub shoulders with Joanna Trollope, Clive James, John Humphreys and Boris Johnson, Telegraph stalwarts like Max Hastings, Bill Deedes and Simon Heffer and dozens of Telegraph readers in this endlessly readable treat for all. 354pp.
£20 NOW £7
74800 STEP INSIDE RAINFOREST: An Exciting 3-
Dimensional Animal World by Gaby Goldsack, Rob Davies, Robin Carter and Richard Jewitt
This wonderful feat of paper engineering explores the Indian rainforests, home to tigers, elephants, monkeys, buffalos,
pangolins and many more. The book describes life on the ground, in the middle and at the top of the trees, explains how camouflage works and narrates the fascinating stories of creatures like the enormous ornamental tarantula and the ants who feed on leaves and berries and can carry a leaf many times their own body weight back to the nest. We liked the chameleon best, but readers will have their own favourites. 11 tough yet soft-feeling padded pages 27cm x 23cm in dazzling colour. £9.99 NOW £4
Music and Dance 27 74446 COMPLETE
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SHELLS by R. H. de Bruyne
The casual beachcomber or more serious collector can derive so much more from the pastime with the aid of this superb encyclopedia. Produced on top quality
heavyweight paper, it contains an astonishing 800 plus true to life colour photos and description of almost 1,000 species from all
around the world. An introductory section teaches us about phylum Mollusca and its many classes, the amazing variety of form and how shells are made and their architecture, the uses of shells to the animal and to man, the worldwide distribution of the molluscs, their classification and nomenclature and how to go about creating a collection. For each species described we are told the scientific and common names, size, full description, distribution, habitat, habits and plenty of extra useful information. With an extensive index of common and scientific names, a glossary of terms, a detailed bibliography and a taxonomic overview. Beautiful photography of the world most stunning shells. 336pp.
ONLY £6
74473 A BRUSH WITH NATURE: 25 Years of
Personal Reflections on the Natural World by Richard Mabey What makes Richard Mabey’s writing stand out is not just its lyrical quality but also its unparalleled scope, from observational reflections on nature to questions about its relationship with language, art and life, from the wildlife and landscape that
surrounded him in his Chiltern childhood and early adulthood to the delights of where he is based today in the Waverley valley in Norfolk, urban wildlife, coastal reflections, garden wildlife, alien species, literature, pottering, foraging, vermin, hunting: there is little he has not mused upon over now 30 years with BBC Wildlife. Rather than chronological, he has gone for a broad thematic approach, organising the book into sections entitled Roots, Wings, Leaves, Tracks, Images, Words and Issues in which each piece dovetails delightfully with the previous. From conservation to climate change and love letters to the animals and plants that surround him, beautifully related by one described by The Times as “Britain’s greatest living nature writer”. 242pp. £12.99 NOW £5
74919 A NATURALIST’S GUIDE TO THE MUSHROOMS AND OTHER FUNGI of Britain
and Northern Europe by Josephine Bacon, Paul Sterry and Andrew Merrick Colourful, shapely, stately, shiny, capped, frilly, tentacle like, some quirky like the Magpie Ink Cap and the Shad Ink Cap, the deadly looking Blue Round Head and blood
red Web Cap, the alien like Pinecone Cap and the prettily named Fairy Ring Champignon, some are deadly, some delicious and edible. Our easy-to-use identification guide covers 280 species of mushroom and toadstool commonly found in Britain, Ireland and other parts of Northern Europe. The authoritative text describes key identification features including how to identify poisonous species. There is an overview of distribution, habitats, structure and nomenclature and every species is illustrated with a colour photograph. Plus advice on mushroom hunting and finding the ones that are good to eat. 160pp in paperback. £9.99 NOW £3.50
73768 BALD COOT AND SCREAMING LOON by Niall Edworthy
How do birds avoid bumping into each other? How do they have sex? Birds have much more sophisticated colour vision than humans, with the exception of the owl, for whom monochrome vision is more efficient in the dark. This book is divided between science and bird lore, with medieval bestiaries being a rich source of information in the latter category: a bird with three toes is mean, with six toes gentle, and the dove is the only bird whose form the devil is unable to assume. 196, line drawings.
£10.99 NOW £3.50
72549 THE FROG WITH SELF-CLEANING FEET and Other Extraordinary Tales from the Animal World by Michael Bright
The caterpillar of the Large Blue Butterfly persuades red ants to take it into their nest by making sounds like a Queen Ant. Blue monkeys have two calls, one for aerial predators such as eagles and the other for threats on the ground such as leopards. For speed of movement the shark takes the laurels, with a tagged female Great White Shark making a round trip from South Africa to Australia and back in nine months. 288pp. £12.99 NOW £3
74070 COLLINS COMPLETE GUIDE TO
BRITISH WILD FLOWERS by Paul Sterry The book has been designed so that the text and photographs for each species are on facing pages. A system of labelling clearly states the flower’s identity. At the start of each species, description the plant’s most commonly used and current English name is given followed by the scientific name and any references. The map provides invaluable information about the distribution and occurrence of each species. The regions covered are the whole of mainland England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland as well as the offshore islands and the coverage is restricted to what most people understand to be wild flowers. Over 1,600 detailed photos and 1,100 features on species of wild flower including aquatic plants, grasses, sedges and rushes. 304pp, softback. £16.99 NOW £6
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