Re: classical music textbooks

Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2003 06:57:27 -0700
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Size: 1,269 bytes

On 7 Jul 2003 21:23:58 -0700, email-address-deleted (seby1689) wrote:
>Could someone here reccomend a textbook that would teach "structural"
>readings of classical music for a beginner? I have looked through many
>books and have noticed that most offer a lot in the way of cultural
>context but little in terms of guided listening. For example, a good
>"guided listening" exercise would have me trace a motif in a movement
>of a symphony.
I suggest you do what I did, around age 14 or so. I went to my public
library (my local county was the "arts" one so I was lucky) and go to
the music section. Start at the top shelf, and find a book which might
interest you...read it. You are done when you know how to find
something in the entire section.
I'm now 48, been active in music for 34 years and recently moved to a
new city. I got a library card, I've found the small music section
(I'm used to academic libraries now) but I shall start at the top
rack...want to join me?
The good thing about music is you can check out a book and gain the
info which might interest you from a few chapters and skip around,
they are not novels or bios (which I suggest you read as you learn a
lot about music as one can't cover a composer's life and leave out
some technical aspects.)