Books by Dave: A Shameless Infomercial
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- Опубликовано: 11 июн 2022
- I've written sixteen books about classical music thus far. The vast majority (13) are guides to various composers, currently published by Rowman and Littlefield. You can find and purchase them here: rowman.com/Action/Search/_/da...
Topics covered include Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, Mahler, Sibelius, Shostakovich, Handel, Bernstein, Mendelssohn, Dvořák, Richard Strauss, and CPE Bach. I am proud of these works, and I hope you will consider checking them out if these composers arouse your curiosity. 
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I have the CPE volume that I treasure. Never owned but did love the Sibelius volume.
Your books on Mahler, SIbelius and Shostakovich are all EXCELLENT.
After watching this video, I went searching online and found your Mahler book and CD for $10.91…….new!
Deal of the year, so bought it and arrived today. Will be diving in this evening.
Will be searching for the rest, so thanks David again for all the knowledge!
Your Shostakovich book is translated to Persian and expanded well, with all the references to the music accompanied by score excerpts of that part. A fabulous unique work. Thank you and Mr. Ramezani.
Yes. I had no hand in that, but he did tell me it was happening.
And yes, Dvorak is maybe THE most underrated great composer
I do hope the Bruckner gets published!
Your book about Mahler’s symphonies was one of my favorite music books as a high school viola player/aspiring composer. It really helped me listen to and comprehend longer musical structures. Helped that it was written in a very playful, not too academic, voice!
About 7-8 years ago I was at Disney Hall and while browsing the gift shop I specifically bought the Sibelius book BECAUSE of the section and disc on other composers!!! I’ve actually been going back through the book in the past couple weeks after seeing Sib 7 with Paavo in Paris, encouraged me to listen to the new cycle
Yesterday my 9 year old was helping me organize my cd collection and found the companion cd for the Mahler book.
Bravo Dave. What a legacy you have left for all of us. I look forward to purchasing and enjoying your books. Thank you.
I have 9 of them...I specially enjoyed teh Mahler, Shostakovich, Beethoven and Haydn (where the music all started) and I am anxioulsy waiting for somebody to publish Bruckner and Tchaikovsky.....
Thank you. I haven't written Tchaikovsky, but Bruckner is done. Just need a publisher. Maybe I'll do it myself. We'll see.
Thanks for this, I will now look for your Haydn, Handel and CPE Bach books. If you ever consider writing another book, I think the focus on the "unknowns" is very interesting. I think of Nielsen, Roussel, Martinu and others. Especially Martinu would be interesting as I couldn't find any book on his music.
I have a book called”Martinu and the Symphony” by Michael Crump. Mainly focuses on the 6 symphonies and is very technical.
I would love to have a Dave Martinu book.
I have Beethoven or Bust. I remember being a 24-year-old classical associate producer and along with Svejda and Libbey -- all were exceptionally helpful! Now that I know the backstory of the backstory, I'm going to read it again!
Definitely need to check these out! Waiting for you to publish your Bruckner tell-all :)
11 of your books are available at the Toronto public library. Put the Shostakovich Owner's manual on hold last week. Really looking forward to reading it!
Bought copies of your Sibelius and Shostakovich books thought they were great, and refreshing especially the Sibelius with it's links to Finnish music innovative with the CDs in the back really good work
Thank you.
I just wanted to say that I was starting to begin my journey of discovery of classical music when I discovered Beethoven or Bust. The last part of your book where you compare and contast groups of musical works introduced me to so many wonderful composers, including Tubin, Schrecker, and Moeran. These are now among my favorites! It's such a shame this book is not in print. It is the best beginner's guide to classical music I have read.
Thank you!
I’ve noticed that some publishers, like Routledge, seem to have a pipeline from Amazon to a print-on-demand printing plant in North Haven, CT, of all places. The Amazon click cues the plant to print and ship the ordered copy to the customer. So no inventory for the publisher to pay taxes on. Maybe a way to continue this series - looking forward to reading the CPE Bach after getting Peter Serkin’s last CD set. Thanks!
North Haven is a very nice town. I had quite a few high school friends who lived there.
One of my great takeaways from your videos has been an appreciation of CPE Bach, and I did in fact buy - and greatly enjoy - your book on him.
All of these books sound amazing! I just purchased/received your book on Dvorak, since discovering Dvorak's underappreciated "Requiem" was how I discovered your channel in the first place; and I absolutely love it. Your writing is incredibly clear and intelligent; and not too "fluffy" and hard to understand... (that's the only way I can describe it...) like many others I have tried. And I love how your chapter on his choral works brings to light these incredible pieces that deserve so much more attention. Dvorak's music is wonderful! Thank you so much for writing this book. I can't wait to try the others.
Thank you!
I'm loving the Handel one
Dave, thanks so much for the recap of the books you've written. I've already added a couple to my reading list. Thank you for putting your genius to work.
I found "Beethoven or Bust" over ten years ago - in a used book store, sorry for not contributing royalties! It remains the best general "music appreciation" guide I have every read. And I cited a comment you made about orchestration in your Strauss book in my dissertation - the line about orchestration meaning knowing what to do you with your woodwinds. Your books are full of wonderful, commonsense observations that no one else seems to say...maybe because they weren't listening
Thank you!
Finally had an opportunity to watch this at one sitting and found the story of your writing them interesting. I have four of them: Beethoven or Bust, the Brahms symphonies, Mozart orchestral music, and Mahler. I enjoyed them and as a non-musician found them very helpful in understanding the music and enjoying it even more. I will be buying more of them. Thank you for writing them.
Thanks for sharing!
Mr. Hurwitz
Thank you for uploading this. The vagaries of RUclips's algorithm being what they are, I have discovered your channel only today. Looking forward to watching your previous videos.
Honestly, all of your books look very interesting. However...these days I try (as far as it's practicable) to restrict myself to buying Kindle books, for the very good reason that I have run out of storage space.
You mentioned that at present the publishing industry is a mess (undoubtedly that's true). With that in mind, perhaps you might like to consider the option of publishing your entire œuvre (including the unpublished Bruckner) in Kindle (or maybe ePub) format.
Just my two cents.
Hello David!
Thank you for this amazing video! I had been waiting for you to talk about your books for a long time!
I am really excited about your book on Bruckner and I really hope that you can publish it - and if you do I will let you know if it made its way to Portugal
Thank you for making these amazing videos and writing these amazing books and reviews
Take care
It was one of your books (I think the Dvorak, which led me to others) that was my introduction to your work. Then, when I happened upon your RUclips channel: "Hey, it's that guy who wrote those books I liked. Yay!"
I have the Mendelssohn, CPE Bach and Shostakovich. They are indispensabile, one and all. I really think that I never truly understood Mendelssohn before reading your book! I had to pay an extortionate amount for the Shostakovich to some seller (crazily, it's the only one still out of print), but the book Is a masterpiece, that finally clean sweeps away all the political gibberish that distracts from the music
Thank you!
And I agree about Handel, he's my favourite composer. I am an amateur bass/baritone, and treasure his treatment of the human voice. I believe of any composer who's ever composed his understanding of the needs and capabilities of the human voice and the variety and the beauty of the music that he gave his singers is unparalleled. I probably get more joy listening to Handel's music than any other's. But of course, one doesn't diet on just one dish, however luscious, that would quickly pale, there's a universe of music in other places that I do enjoy equally well. I shall chase up your book on Amazon.
The Sibelius story shows your breadth and their “pearls before swine” shallowness. The “asides” are the unique color and perspective that draw me every day to your videos. Don’t change for the ignorant crowd.
I'm finishing and enjoying your Haydn Guide and have the Shostakovich waiting. The tone of the writing is more formal instead all the humor we see on the videos. Anyways, I had an "ASK DAVE" question: in which symphonies is the minuet or scherzo the "crown" of the symphony? And separately for string quartets....
Ives's 4th comes to mind. Arguably Haydn's Palindrome Symphony, since the minuet is where it gets its nickname.
Congratulations. What a wonderful achievement.
I found your CPE Bach very enjoyable and extremely useful.
I absolutely love your Mahler book, which was one of my early entry points into the man’s music. An accessible but extremely informative guide for the listener. I actually just got my paws on the book of conductor interviews about Mahler which you recommended, and it is excellent. Great insights into how different prominent conductors think about Mahler, and as you said in your prior video, it reveals many of the many human foibles the maestros interviewed possess. EDITED TO ADD: I love the Shostakovich book even more.
Thank you!
I’m all over this. I love Dave’s channel and website, so very excited to try some of these books!
Yay! Thank you!
I mentioned in the comments of a previous video of yours that I bought Beethoven or Bust quite a while ago, it was a different century actually, but I'm here to say it didn't suck :) It actually introduced me to many other pieces. Thanks again, David!
These books sound great, I'm definitely going to look them up since I've wanted to get some good books about composers like Mahler and Shostakovich.
Thanks!
buy the Dvorak book. it's great!
For me your book about C.P.E. Bach has been an indispensable companion to his music. Some years ago I bought this encompassing box set of his works on Brilliant Classics but it wasn't until your book when I got a fresh and analytical perspective to C.P.E. Bach, and I knew which works were most worth zooming in on.
Your book about Dvorak (along with these videos) taught me that he was much, much more than simply the pleasant tunesmith that he has often been portrayed.
Your book about Sibelius is an excellent introduction not only to his orchestral works but (like you said) to Finnish music in general. As a Finn I'm of course familiar with the Finnish composers you introduced in the book, but it gives valuable information to anyone interested in unsung Nordic composers.
Thank you! I'm so glad you found the books useful.
I loved the Sibelius book because it led med to explore not only a lot of Sibelius unknown to me but also all the composers who followed him that you brought up in the book.
Thank you. I'm so relieved!
Surely you don’t, or pardon me shouldn’t take seriously the narrow minded crowd who voice dissatisfaction with composers beyond Sibelius; and had you think that one should only give the masses what they (think they) want and not a quark more. Keep on Dave, ever the wind at your back!
I had actually purchased the Mahler and Shostakovich books before I ever started listening to you. I hope we will continue to “blab on“ because I find your recommendations absolutely enlightening. I don’t always agree with everything you say, especially when you really trash some performances. But I listen to them to see if I can hear what you hear. On the other hand, when you rave about something, those have been absolutely wonderful discoveries in my listening life. There have been several but top of mind I think is the Brahms first piano concerto. Anyway, keep doing what you’re doing! Listening to you and to a guy named Darren Hardy have literally gotten me through Covid! And the split second you self publish that Bruckner book, I’ll be in line to buy a copy. I have about half of your books and definitely plan on getting the other half. I’m a great music lover and discovered classical music in high school. I ended up as a music teacher (now retired) and I am a community choir Director. I’ve learned a great deal from you and look forward to many more wonderful hours listening, reading and learning. Thank you for all you do!
That's very kind of you. Thank you.
Read your Mahler book back in high school (early 2000s). Best intro/analysis of the symphonies I’ve enjoyed to date.
I read your Mahler book a few years back, the Sibelius and Dvořák ones more recently. They're informative, well written, enjoyable to read, and fully worthy of shameless self-promotion. I hope you've made a buck or two on them.
I read the Sibelius one and I'm here to tell you it's packed with info and insight and as readable as you could wish. I'm in the UK and poor, so postage is an issue, otherwise I'd be investing in a few more.
Fascinating to hear the background, thanks for this. Apropos of not this but bearing in mind music appreciation, wanted to echo dismay of others at the sharp decline in standards at BBC Building a Library, several recent orchestral low-points. The reviewers (I know some) don't always sound comfortable, themselves, while the current editorial format sucks. One trend being: dull if accurate recordings win the race while the best lie unheard. Other choices just feel unaccountable.
You should release a Dave Hurwitz Box with all your books, a curated selection from Tinnitus Classics, and some glossy photos of Pipo. Make the box design as annoying as possible: maybe based on a Rubik’s Cube?
I am so glad you highlighted CPE Bach. From my own research going through the centuries and listening to the music, he is the best and most interesting to listen to of the Bachs. I've listening to the CPE Bach Edition and while I agree some of it isn't as good as it could be, it's still important that it exists. Now if only I could find Étienne-Joseph Floquet's music somewhere.
Enjoyed the video, very informative and entertaining, as always! Thanks for giving us the ability to find your books in a simple way.
However, one thing I noticed was the continued reference to Haydn, Mozart et al being the Second Viennese School…
Oops. Freudian slip there.
@@DavesClassicalGuide With your wealth of knowledge, you're allowed a mistake or two.
I'm looking forward to listening to the set of Prokofiev symphonies you suggested and great to see Karajan in there.
I note there's no Gergiev there either what with that set being marketed very positively.
Please don't stop making these videos. I've been a classical fan for 30 years with a music degree but learning so much more thanks to you.
Best wishes
Dan
@@danielhornby5581 Or three. Or four...
@@DavesClassicalGuide Indeed! As you say, take care!
I used to enjoy browsing in retailers like Border's ( if anyone remembers them) to see the latest books on classical music, but began to notice that new and old titles in that category were rapidly dwindling to a vanishing point. One of the stores actually carried a monograph on American opera in the early 19th century by one of my University Colleagues. Over the years I had found volumes 2 and 3 of LaGrange's Mahler biography. By the time the final volume, "A New Life Cut Short" appeared {which you reviewed on Classics Today, I believe), it was only available by ordering on line. Although in the Forward to that volume, the author promised that the long awaited revised Vol. 1 would appear before too much longer. In the event, it was another 12 years before the promised revised Vol. 1 finally appeared. In the mean time, La Grange had passed away and the work was completed by Sybille Werner, and Oxford Press, which had brought out all the previous volumes of the English version, had apparently declined to publish this final installment, and it came out under the imprint of a small (obscure to me) press called Brepols of Lucca Italy, What struck me was that, although in times past the appearance of a new volume of the LaGrange bio would have been fairly big news in the classical grapevine, such as it was, I hadn't even heard about it until it had been out for at least a year. Although none of these volumes deal directly with the music itself, as your book on Mahler does, each of them includes an extensive appendix which contains detailed analyses of each of the major works - until we get to this revised vol. 1. In her introduction, Sybille Werner tells us that that to avoid excessive length, the appendices for volume 1 will be "made available separately." To my knowledge this has not yet happened. After hesitating on account of the expense, I did purchase a copy, and have not regretted it for a moment. Sorry this comment is so long, but I wondered, since you did review vol iv, whether you have read the revised v. 1, and if so, what you thought of it. Personally, I am grateful to Ms. Werner for having brought L-G's monumental project to completion. But I hope those Appendices do appear one of these days.
Release the Bruckner!
These books-I’ve read most of them-are treasures, especially for people learning to parse the musical language of a composer one is first encountering or trying to study. If you haven’t read them, you’re missing out. And no, Dave did not pay me to say so. Years ago, his Mahler and Shostakovich books opened worlds to me, and the books on Haydn, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Dvořák, Sibelius, Strauss, Handel and CPE are ones I return to with pleasure, and never without learning or being reminded of something important. Essential reading “form whores” especially!
Looking forward to reading the new one on Beethoven’s orchestral works.
Wow! Thank you so much!
I have three of your books, Dave: Dvorak, Sibelius and Beethoven. They’re truly great. Thank you so much for them! (BTW, the Sibelius one came with 2 CDs. The other ones have downloadable tracks, which I’ve never tried.)
Thank you very much!
Hello David!
What do you think about the other books of the Collection “Unlocking the Masters”? I have been hesitant to buy any of them because they were not witten by you, so I wanted to know your opinion about them.
Take care!
As I am part of that series, I don't think it's appropriate to comment here.
Just ordered your Hayden book. I hope there is a list of Haydn symphonies with three digit numbers.
Regarding Bach versus Handel, I agree.
I purchased Beethoven or Bust many years ago, as I was expanding my CD collection. My only reference, at the time, was the Penguin Guide, which I often found pretentious and wrong about its recommendations... well I'm not a musician, so who am I to opine about what's right and wrong, but I often found myself dissatisfied when purchasing some of their recommended CD's. I saw your book while browsing for something that WASN"T the Penguin Guide, and immediately connected with it. I wanted a layman's guide to classical music, I didn't want a music history book, and I wanted examples that I could listen to. For someone like me that was hungry for musical knowledge, this book was indispensable. To this day I still use it as a reference. Any chance of a second edition, or maybe publish an e-book version for kindle?
I'd like to.
@@DavesClassicalGuide DO IT!!!!
Dave, will any your books be available on Kindle? Thanks, and for the many illuminating talks.
Five or six are--you can find them on Amazon.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Excellent, and hope you will write a book on Rachmaninoff 😊
Any chance of your oeuvre becoming available on Kindle? Only a few on amazon😢
I wish. I can't get an answer from the publisher. I've asked them a million times.
Now I'm ready for your books on Bax, Martinu, and Arnold 😁
I certainly would agree on an Arnold book. (And would guess that books on the other two would be the jumping off point to listen to them).
I have been collecting these as they come out. They are all excellent. Have you read any of the other author's books in the same series that you would recommend?
Victor Lederer's books are also very good.
I very recently bought your C.P.E. Bach book which incidentally did have the CD enclosed. The only reason I haven’t read it yet is because I suffered a detached retina and am recovering from the subsequent operation and have a cataract in my other eye so reading is difficult for now. This made me wonder whether you have considered publishing your books on Audible, preferably with you reading them. Maybe this might be a solution for those books that are now hard to track down? At least we could hear them - if not read them.
I don't think that's up to me.
Good luck with your vision! -Charles
I have your Mahler, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Dvořák, and Strauss books and recommend them frequently. They are fantastic for getting into these composers, and are stepping stones to the more “academic” biographies and essays by other folks. I usually end up coming back to your books too because they are so enjoyable and accessible.
Glad you like them!
You refer to Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven as the Second Viennese School. Who was the First? I always thought the Second was Schoenberg, Berg and Webern.
Yeah, I misspoke .
Was that the same Anita Diamant who wrote 'The Red Tent' (among other novels)?
I don't know,
Hi David. I was wondering if you considered yourself to be an audiophile? I know you’re more interested in the music than the mechanism, but I always wondered what your system was. Keep up the great work!
No, I'm not. I like good sound, but I don't make a fetish out of it. One is enough.
Dave, you kept mentioning the Second Viennese School (instead of the First, Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven), so would you be writing a book covering Schoenberg, Berg and Webern, and making sense of them? Or was it just a Freudian slip?
Yes.
Gah - the publisher has suspended deliveries to Australia! *sigh*
Figures. Thanks for trying.
Too bad there are no in ebook formats :(
There are some available on Kindle through Amazon.
There are some. The Beethoven, Bach, Mahler and Strauss books are available with a scribd membership.
I have the Mendelssohn book on Kindle
Although on that Most Underrated topic: When I read critics from 50-90 years ago, the critical dissing of my man Tchaikovsky is just appalling 😂
“He wrote CATCHY MELODIES! He sounds like he’s actually trying to APPEAL TO THE LISTENER! How tacky”
You should be ashamed.
I'm kidding and I think you should be promoting your books.