Introduction to the series

Interactive digital guides to the greatest works of classical music.

Masterpieces of Music is a series of eBook guides to the greatest classical works. Each eBook combines the latest scholarship with multimedia content and interactive functionality to bring some of the best-loved pieces of music to life in an accessible and engaging way. Whether you are just beginning to explore classical music or have loved it all your life, Masterpieces of Music will enhance your appreciation and understanding of some of the world’s most significant cultural icons.

Volumes

  • Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 ‘Eroica’ – Discover Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ Symphony, a work of titanic scale and ambition that initially baffled its audience at the start of the 19th century but which soon came to be seen as a turning-point in Western music, revolutionising the symphony as a means of musical and emotional expression.
  • Bach’s Mass in B minor – Explore the music and background of Bach’s B minor Mass, a monument of Baroque choral music widely regarded as the composer’s masterpiece, and a summation of his life’s work in the field of religious music.
  • Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 – Uncover the inner workings of and troubled story behind Brahms’s first great masterpiece, a work born in the throes of youthful love and loss and a concerto that set itself against the prevailing tide of virtuosity and brought a symphonic seriousness to the form.

Content and key features

  • Discover the full story behind the music, with interactive timelines, complementary features and more
  • Immerse yourself in the composer’s creative process with a detailed walk-through of the music
  • Find out how the music is put together with copious excerpts from the musical score using an accessible, simplified notation
  • Listen to key moments and understand musical techniques, even if you don’t read music – each music example plays back clearly with the sound of a keyboard instrument
  • Enjoy excerpts from an acclaimed Harmonia Mundi recording of the complete work
  • Learn about musical terms explained from a layman’s perspective with an interactive glossary
  • Explore more with ideas for further reading and listening

About the author

 

Author Matthew Rye studied music at Magdalen College, Oxford, and has spent his career in music journalism as a writer, editor and critic. He has written numerous programme and CD booklet notes, was a reviewer for the Daily Telegraph for 13 years and BBC Music Magazine for over 15, and has also written for the Independent, Sunday Times, Musical Times, The Wagner Journal and other publications. He contributed to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd edition), The Rough Guide to Classical Music, The Blackwell History of Music in Britain and was general editor of 1001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die (Cassell Illustrated, 2007). He is currently reviews editor of The Strad.

 

Press releases

Beethoven’s Symphony No.3, ‘Eroica’ – Read, listen, discover – your complete musical companion, 3rd June 2014 – click here to read or download (PDF Format).

 

Bach’s Mass in B minor – Read, listen, discover – your complete musical companion, 22nd August 2014 – click here to read or download (PDF Format).

 

Brahms’s Piano Concerto No.1 – Read, listen, discover – your complete musical companion, 13th October 2014 – click here to read or download (PDF Format).

 

Images

Beethoven’s Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’

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Bach’s Mass in B minor 

Click here to download the cover of Bach’s Mass in B minor (zip file).

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Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1

Click here to download the cover of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No.1 (zip file).

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