Product Description

What did Haydn's wife use for curling-paper for her hair? What did Schubert do with his old spectacles case? Why was Dvorak given a butcher's apron when he was a little boy? Why did Tchaikovsky spit on a map of Europe? Why did Faure find a plate of spinach on his face? And why did Handel waggle his wig? In "Why Beethoven Threw the Stew", renowned cellist Steven Isserlis set out to pass on to children a wonderful gift given to him by his own cello teacher - the chance to people his own world with the great composers by getting to know them as friends. In his new book, he draws us irresistibly into the world of six more favourite composers, bringing them alive in a manner that cannot fail to catch the imagination of children encountering classical music for the first time. Once again the text is packed with facts, dates and anecdotes, interspersed with lively black-and-white line illustrations, making this an attractive and accessible read for children to enjoy on their own or share with an adult.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #80328 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

Why Handel Waggled his Wig
This book was fantastic. I read it straight through & it took me about a week, & once I was done, I missed it -A sign of a good book. From this book, you will learn about the lives of 6 wonderful composers, exicting new vocabulary and what to do with your granny when you're bored. Steven brings the charcters to life in a way that anybody can enjoy it. However, that said, I would recomend this to anybody above the age of 10. I liked the choice of composers as well. One thing that is a bit surprising is that I still don't know why Handel waggled ihs wig.

Most excellent
I bought this for my 10 year old son (to further entice him into the world of classical music), but ended up hogging the book myself! It is very good - pitched quite nicely at children with a conversation, jokey tone. And my boy won't get his hands on it until I've read it again, although I am going to buy 'Why Beethoven threw the Stew'; he can make a start on that one!

Highly recommended!