The Bluffer’s Guide to Music
The Bluffer’s Guide to Music by Peter Gammond, published by Oval Books in March 2008, offers a humorous exploration of modern music and its complexities. This 92-page edition presents a light-hearted take on various composers and musical concepts, making it accessible for those who may feel intimidated by the subject. Through witty observations, Gammond provides insights into figures like Beethoven, Bach, and Mahler, illustrating how perceptions of their work can vary widely among listeners.
Readers will find a blend of humor and instruction as the book delves into topics such as music appreciation and the nuances of different composers’ styles. Gammond’s approach encourages a playful understanding of music, suggesting that one can engage with complex ideas without taking them too seriously. This edition serves as a unique resource for anyone looking to enhance their knowledge of music while enjoying a light-hearted narrative.
Official synopsis Publisher
Modern music
Modern music is that which is written in an idiom that came just after the period that any given music-lover was last able to understand.
Beethoven
Beethoven is regarded as a public company in which a number of people have shares and it is important to know how many shares each of them holds. Thus one talks of Klemperer’s Beethoven, Karajan’s Beethoven, Solti’s Beethoven, Bernstein’s Beethoven and, after a bit of research, Furtwangler’s Beethoven—those are main shareholders with Klemperer holding a working majority.
Bach
Any suggestion that you can take Bach as good clean fun can earn you a very nasty reputation. You must take Bach seriously or not at all.
Mahler
It was suddenly realized that Mahler had not written big long boring symphonies of the Brahms type which you have to listen to carefully from beginning to end in order not to miss the themes, but had, in fact, simply strung together hundreds of attractive little tunes, and it was possible to go into a coma for a lot of the symphony and still get involved when you came to again.
Bartok
Bartok is great stuff for people with the kind of mentality that takes naturally to chess and Ximenes crosswords.
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