This is a compelling and inspiring look at spiritual beliefs that influenced some of the world's greatest composers, now revised and expanded with eight additional composers.

Biographies of the important composers from Monteverdi and Bach to Bartok and Webern are designed to show the history of music.

Discover little-known stories from music history—including murder, riots, and heartbreak—in this entertaining tour through the fascinating (and surprising) lives of classical music masters With outrageous anecdotes about everyone from Gioachino Rossini (draft-dodging womanizer) to Johann Sebastian Bach (jailbird) to Richard Wagner (alleged cross-dresser), Secret Lives of Great Composers recounts the seamy, steamy, and gritty history behind the great masters of international music. Here, you’ll learn that Edward Elgar dabbled with explosives; that John Cage was obsessed with fungus; that Berlioz plotted murder; and that Giacomo Puccini stole his church’s organ pipes and sold them as scrap metal so he could buy cigarettes. This is one music history lesson you’ll never forget!

Contains information on 17 composers who range from the Baroque period to the Contemporary period. Book contains a picture with relevant facts and suggested listening, a brief biography, a study of his music (or time he lived) and a question and answer page for each composer. The accompanying CD includes the suggested listening for each composer; the activity sheets contain the picture with facts and question and answer page for each composer in a reproducible format.

This new authoritative reference provides an illustrated guide to the most influential western composers of classical music: the ones who have defined or developed particular styles of composition, and who have created for themselves a significant place in music history.

Briefly introduces the greatest composers over the centuries and the contributions they made to the development of music.

Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Brahms, Dvorak, Bizet and Rossini are but a few of the composers included in this book. The stories of their lives are accompanied by portraits.