Ten Masterpieces of Music [Hardcover]

Some pieces of music survive. Most fall into oblivion. What gives the ten masterpieces selected for this book their exceptional vitality? Sachs ... takes readers on a breezy, informative tour of classical music . . . [in] a variety of genres . . . [E]ach selection ... provides abundant cultural and historical background and significant biographical detail [of the composer's life and the larger pantheon of musical greats]. Sachs lively prose will draw readers in . . . Heartily recommended to every serious lover of classical music. An astute guide compiles a stunning repertoire of works... Esteemed music critic Sachs gets personal with this effervescent homage to some favorite works of life-giving and affirmative classical music. He chose these pieces, all in different genres, because he felt he had something useful to say about them, and he deftly shows how biography informed the music, each piece neatly fitting into its time and place... This judicious compilation of biographies and analysis is a thoroughly engaging read. Here Sachs . . . skillfully brings readers right into the social and political milieu in which the composers thrived. By pairing historical context with the composers personal lives and characteristics, Sachs vividly frames 10 masterpieces.