Classic FM Handy Guides

Classical music plays a key role in film soundtracks, creating iconic moments and bringing classic tracks to a wide audience, from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Apocalypse Now. Packed full of essential information, this pocket-sized handbook explores the history of film music, the development of different styles, award-winning composers and the most popular pieces within the genre. Classic FM's Handy Guides are a fun and informative set of introductions to standout subjects within classical music, each of which can be read and digested in one sitting: a perfect collectible series whether you're new to the world of classical music or an aficionado.

In The Case for Make Believe, Harvard child psychologist Susan Linn tells the alarming story of childhood under siege in a commercialized and technology-saturated world. Although play is essential to human development and children are born with an innate capacity for make believe, Linn argues that, in modern-day America, nurturing creative play is not only countercultural-it threatens corporate profits. A book with immediate relevance for parents and educators alike, The Case for Make Believe helps readers understand how crucial child's play is-and what parents and educators can do to protect it. At the heart of the book are stories of children at home, in school, and at a therapist's office playing about real-life issues from entering kindergarten to a sibling's death, expressing feelings they can't express directly, and making meaning of an often confusing world. In an era when toys come from television and media companies sell videos as brain-builders for babies, Linn lays out the inextricable links between play, creativity, and health, showing us how and why to preserve the space for make believe that children need to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives.

From its early inception at the French court to modern-day developments and interpretations, ballet has long had a popular following. Packed full of essential information, this pocket-sized handbook explores the history, performers, composers and music, highlighting the very best ballets and the stand-out tracks that should feature in the collection of any aficionado. Classic FM's Handy Guides are a fun and informative set of introductions to standout subjects within classical music, each of which can be read and digested in one sitting: a perfect collectible series whether you're new to the world of classical music or an aficionado.

Some of classical music's most famous works are found in opera, and from film soundtracks to football stadiums, it reaches a vast worldwide audience. Packed full of essential information, this pocket-sized handbook explores the key styles in the genre, from the Baroque era to the modern masters, the greatest composers, voices and venues, as well as recommending essential operas to see and tracks to download. Classic FM's Handy Guides are a fun and informative set of introductions to standout subjects within classical music, each of which can be read and digested in one sitting: a perfect collectible series whether you're new to the world of classical music or an aficionado.

The orchestra is one of the cornerstones of classical music, beloved of music lovers around the world. Packed full of essential information, this pocket-sized handbook explores the make-up and functions of the different sections, from strings to percussion, as well as some of the greatest orchestras around the world and the incredible music that they perform. Classic FM's Handy Guides are a fun and informative set of introductions to standout subjects within classical music, each of which can be read and digested in one sitting: a perfect collectible series whether you are new to the world of classical music or an aficionado.

High quality soundtracks composed for video games have only been around for a few decades, but their popularity is fast becoming a global phenomenon. Packed full of essential information, this pocket-sized handbook explores the way the music has developed in step with gaming technology, as the once-niche genre increasingly enters the mainstream. Classic FM's Handy Guides are a fun and informative set of introductions to standout subjects within classical music, each of which can be read and digested in one sitting: a perfect collectible series whether you're new to the world of classical music or an aficionado.

An essential short history of classical music, and a standalone accompaniment to the Handy Guides series! Trace the history of classical music from its birth through the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods and right up to the present day. Packed full of essential information, this pocket-sized handbook explores the lives and works of the key composers from around the world. Classic FM's Handy Guides are a fun and informative set of introductions to standout subjects within classical music, each of which can be read and digested in one sitting: a perfect collectible series for all those new to the world of classical music, as well as aficionados with busy schedules.