Music Books For Children

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30302, 30 November 1963, Page 3

Music Books For Children

Introducing Beethoven. By Paula Harris. J. M. Dent. 98 pp. The Magic Flute. By Eric Crozier. Oxford University Press 56 pp. The Mastersingers. By Eric Crozier. Oxford University Pres-. 65 pp. Boyhoods Of Great Composers. By Catherine Gough. Oxford University Press 58 pp. All four volumes should provide stimulating reading for young students of music. Each has a different approach. The book on Beethoven is a successor to the series by the late Kitty Barne who “introduced” Mozart, Handel and Schubert in similar vein. Paula Harris’s study is a valuable amalgam of biography and imaginative description. Even adults will derive pleasure from the whimsy of such statements as: "But composers have often had to endure bad first performances, and not only first performances either.” As a book. "The Magic Flute" is not what it seems. This series of fictional letters by Eric Crozier is intended to give an impression of Mozart's last year of life, as expressed in correspondence with his sister, Nannerl. In view of the great composer's

detestation of letter-writing, it may seem strange that the author has chosen this foifja of presentation, but it Ji convincingly and delicately done.

Eric Crozier's story of the “Mastersingers’’ Makes delightful reading and would almost certainly succeed in interesting youngsters in thi opera itself. Since all broadcast and public performances are certain to be in Germaff. this colourful and felicitous version of a delightful plot would give a deep understanding and sense of continuity to the listener The important feature of “Boyhoods of Great Composers" is that in addition to the usual fare of Bach, Beethoven. Chopin. Verdi and Tchaikovsky we are offend Vaughan Williams. It was a happy idea to introduce immediacy in this way; eft that, along with the usual fishes’ heads of Bach, Beet* hoven’s midnight violin lessons and Tchaikovskv a delight over his orchestrion we get the much more real pleasure of the young Ralph Vaughan Williams posting harmony lessons to the Un' versity of Edinburgh. For » child seriously fond of music this little book could spark off great and personal enthusiasms.