"Much loved music brought vividly to life through art and stories."
November 2024 Book of the Month
Inspired by his collaborations with orchestras and musicians on stage, presenting concerts that incorporate stories, music and art, the author has compiled a wonderful collection of sumptuously illustrated stories taken from six iconic and much-loved pieces of music.
A companion piece to the acclaimed Once Upon a Tune, this stunningly beautiful book features works by familiar names such as Saint-Saëns, Vivaldi, Debussy, Holst and Stravinsky and also introduces us to a famous Chinese piece by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao.
Most of the stories are retold in a lively and engaging fashion from the original tales that inspired the composer. But other pieces do not traditionally have a story attached to them and the author explains his storytelling in the Introduction and in the very informative and fascinating end matter which talks about the composers, their music and the writers who inspired them.
So, the Carnival of the Animals is joyfully imagined as a procession in Paris and each animal is described in a poetic riddle. The Planets focuses on the stories of the Roman gods they were named for and, based upon his research into Vivaldi’s life, the Four Seasons imagines the composer being inspired by living for the first time in the countryside.
There are also recommended recordings of the music to stream or download as I can imagine many families and classrooms doing to accompany their reading of this splendid celebration of art, music and storytelling. Highly recommended for a wide range of age groups.
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