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Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought) Audiobook
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(4.25) - 16 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
It's no secret that Beethoven went deaf, that Mozart had constant money problems, and that Gilbert and Sullivan wrote musicals. But what were these people—and other famous musicians—really like? What did they eat? What did they wear? How did they spend their time? What were they like as children? What were their phobias, obsessions, and bad habits? And what did their neighbors think of it all? Here are the fascinating and often humorous stories of twenty famous musicians—people of all shapes, sizes, temperaments, and lifestyles, from various countries and historical periods, beginning with Vivaldi and ending with Woody Guthrie. Accompanied by brilliant caricatures, Lives of the Musicians will appeal to those who love music, to those who like to hear the story behind a famous name, and to just about everyone else.
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"These are really short picture books that are just darling to look at and read. Suitable for children yet interesting enough for adults, they are by no means comprehensive, just plain fun! And check this out; Shumann is a woman! Who knew? "
— Jenifer (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Engaging and conversational…Families will find these entertaining recordings memorable introductions to the great artistic virtuosos.”
— AudioFile -
“This book is never dull…fascinating details.”
— Booklist
Awards
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A 1993 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book
Lives of the Musicians Listener Reviews
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" Used this book as a teacher. It really helped my students to "get" it. Very informative but fun! "
— Kristen, 7/22/2010 -
" Fascinating. Some of this was contradictory so I took it with a grain of salt. "
— Angie, 2/5/2010 -
" That was a fun book! They were all pretty crazy, but pretty amazing composers! "
— Julie, 12/2/2009 -
" A little more boring than lives of the atheletes "
— Syd, 7/17/2009 -
" Lots of text with interesting "facts" about the composers. This book is probably better for older elementary students. "
— Brenda, 11/29/2008 -
" I like hearing about what nutjobs these people are. It's kind of like the way I feel when I watch "Intervention," except instead of a crack addict it's Chopin. "
— Rachel, 7/31/2008 -
" Every parent should have this book for their children "
— Gavin, 4/26/2008
About Kathleen Krull
Kathleen Krull (1952–2021) was a multiaward–winning children’s book author. She graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, and worked for four companies as a children’s book editor. While on the job, she wrote mysteries in the Trixie Belden series and other books. She then began working at home, writing her own books and getting the chance to explore subjects she was passionate about, including history, music, and extraordinary people. Awards for her body of work include the 2011 Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award, Leo Politi Golden Author Award, Lucia Russell Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award, California Reading Association’s Armin R. Schulz Literacy Award for promoting social justice thru books 2016, and the International Literary Association and Greater San Diego Reading Association Celebrate Literacy Award, among others.
About the Narrators
John C. Brown is a narrator of children’s and young adult books. Some of his credits include My Brother Sam Is Dead, Lives of the Presidents, and Lives of Musicians.
Melissa Hughes’ career began in radio, where she was a staff announcer, DJ, and voice-over artist. Working in England for many years, she starred in the BBC Radio drama Trouble Brewing, appeared in numerous plays, and created the screams for the character of Lois Lane, as well as other voices in the film Superman.