Music

Bach


by Martin Geck

Johann Sebastian Bach was the father of modern music, a supreme craftsman who was able to combine the order of the middle ages with the passionate individualism of the renaissance. Bach expert Martin Geck shows us Bach in his time, offering a rich portrait of the personal, political and social circumstances which shaped some of the greatest music ever written.

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Price: £7.99

Beethoven


by Martin Geck

Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the legendary figures of world culture. But who is the man behind that legend? Martin Geck offers a vivid portrait of a difficult but fascinating man with a tangled and still controversial love life. This is an expert introduction to a self-styled cultural hero, presented warts, genius and all.

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Price: £7.99

CLARA SCHUMANN


by Monica Steegmann

Clara Schumann had her debut as a solo-pianist in 1828 at barely the age of nine, but withdrew into the shadow of her husband, Robert, whom she married against her father’s wishes. Her life, especially after his death, is also closely linked to that of Brahms.

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Price: £9.99

Armstrong


by David Bradbury

Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong (1900-71), born in poverty, brought up in an orphanage, dominated one of the art forms of the 20th century: jazz.

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Price: £7.99

Duke Ellington


by David Bradbury

The composer and bandleader Duke Ellington (1899-1974) was a largely self-taught pianist who was influenced by jazz and ragtime performers. While working as a sign painter he began to play professionally and in 1918 started his own band in his native Washington DC.

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Price: £8.99