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'Hello, I'm Stephen Fry. Now time for the first outing of a brand, spanking new feature here on The Incomplete and Utter History of Classical Music... putting some unsuspecting figure in music under the spotlight.' In his Incomplete & Utter History of Classical Music, Stephen Fry presents a potted and brilliantly rambling 700-year history of classical music and the world as we know it. Along this musical journey he casually throws in references to pretty much whatever takes his fancy, from the Mongol invasion of Russia and Mr Khan (Genghis to his friends), the founding of the MCC, the Black Death (which once again became the new black in England), to the heady revolutionary atmosphere of Mozart's Don Giovanni and the deep doo-doo that Louis XVI got into (or 'du-du' as the French would say). It's all here - Ambrose and early English plainsong, Bach, Mozart (beloved of mobile phones everywhere), Beethoven, Debussy, Wagner (the old romantic), right up to the present day. Entertaining and brilliantly written, this is a pretty reckless romp of a history through classical music and much much more.

What does 'opus' literally mean? Which fruit was included in the title of an opera by Prokofiev? What was a "Schubertiad"? With questions for the novice, the enthusiast and the downright expert, The Classic FM Quiz Book is guaranteed to set your musical knowledge a-quaver as you pit wits against Quickfire, Cinematic Sounds, Mix & Match, Name that Composer, The Year in Question, Enigmas and many more family-friendly rounds. The perfect companion for any quizmaster looking to bring a little extra something to the quiz night; families looking to see, once and for all, who really is the best; classical music buffs; and listeners who like to have their knowledge expanded in the quiz's playful manner, The Classic FM Quiz Book provides over 1,150 questions to get you thinking...fortunately it provides the answers too!

Discover the world's most famous ballets, including Swan Lake, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Spartacus, and The Firebird accompanied by 10 sound clips of child-friendly pieces. "The perfect way to discover the stories behind famous ballets and introduce the melodies to your children. Simply adorable." Myleene KlassLearn about the music and stories of ballet in the second book of The Very Young Person's Guide To... series. Pull on your pointe shoes and follow our heroes as they explore beautiful scenes inspired by some of ballet's most loved music, including Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Spartacus, and The Firebird. Young readers can discover iconic moments including Swan Lake's Dance of the Cygnets, The Clog Dance from La Fille Mal Gardée, and Don Quixote's Dance of the Matadors. Original illustrations capture the beautiful story of the ballet, while the sound button brings the composer's dazzling pieces to life. Every spread features fascinating facts about the ballet, performers, the composer, and the music.Ideal for young children starting music and dance lessons, The Very Young Person's Guide to Ballet Music is guaranteed to delight and inspire.

Join Arthur and Holly on an adventure to save Christmas accompanied by 10 sound clips of beloved carols. Learn about the music and stories of Christmas carols in the third book of The Very Young Person’s Guide To… series.Pull on your mittens and follow our heroes as they explore beautiful scenes inspired by some of the best loved Christmas carols, including Silent Night, Good King Wenceslas, Carol of the Bells, Once In Royal David’s City, and O Holy Night. Original illustrations capture the beautiful story of the carols, while the sound button brings the iconic music pieces to life. Every spread features fascinating facts about festive carols and their origins and is guaranteed to delight and inspire.

Join Arthur and Holly on an adventure to save Christmas accompanied by 10 sound clips of beloved carols. Learn about the music and stories of Christmas carols in the third book of The Very Young Person's Guide To... series. Pull on your mittens and follow our heroes as they explore beautiful scenes inspired by some of the best-loved Christmas carols, including Silent Night, Good King Wenceslas, Carol of the Bells, Once In Royal David's City, and O Holy Night. Original illustrations capture the beautiful story of the carols, while the sound button brings the iconic music pieces to life. Every spread feature fascinating facts about festive carols and their origins and is guaranteed to delight and inspire.

Discover the world's most famous ballets, including Swan Lake, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Spartacus, and The Firebird accompanied by 10 sound clips of child-friendly pieces. Learn about the music and stories of ballet in the second book of The Very Young Person's Guide To... series. Pull on your pointe shoes and follow our heroes as they explore beautiful scenes inspired by some of ballet's most loved music, including Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Spartacus, and The Firebird. Young readers can discover iconic moments including Swan Lake's Dance of the Cygnets, The Clog Dance from La Fille Mal Gard e, and Don Quixote's Dance of the Matadors. Original illustrations capture the beautiful story of the ballet, while the sound button brings the composer's dazzling pieces to life. Every spread feature fascinating facts about the ballet, performers, the composer, and the music. Ideal for young children starting music and dance lessons, The Very Young Person's Guide to Ballet Music is guaranteed to delight and inspire.

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.

See the world of classical music in an entirely new light. Using pie charts, Venn diagrams and other clever graphics, the team behind Classic FM represent Britain's most popular classical works, musicians and composers, alongside orchestras, concert etiquette, and much more. Full of amusing insights and unexpected connections, this witty collection will delight music fans and puzzle enthusiasts alike. From Mozart to Wagner, via John Cage and 'Jerusalem', this ingenious and fun collection of graphics gives a surprising twist to your favourite classical pieces.

There are all sorts of people, events and sounds that exist in the musical world for which there are no words. We have been sadly bereft of a satisfactory way to describe the contortion of a singer's mouth when reaching for the high notes; the audience member who leaves a concert halfway through the grand finale; or that person who places one finger in their ear and raises their eyes heavenwards when they sing.; Tim Lihoreau neatly solves this problem in The Classic FM Musical Treasury. Having scoured the UK for place names with a musical bent, he has created a charming collection of humorously inventive, musically themed meanings. From choral singing to rock concerts, opera and orchestras, this quirky book will delight music fans everywhere.

We might not like to admit to it, but everyone - even the gentlest of souls - derives a secret guilty satisfaction from the misfortune of others. Tim Lihoreau has made it his business to uncover the myriad ways in which schadenfreude rears its wicked head, including: Turparphilia: To delight in the less than aesthetically beautiful nature of a friend's offspring. Nimbuphilia: To delight in driving wildly through a kerb-side puddle which you know to be too close to a pedestrian. Famaphilia: To delight in witnessing a celebrity in an everyday pickle. Schadenfreude: The Little Book of Black Delights uncovers the shady details of our darkest pleasures. Naming, defining and explaining each one in turn with fascinating insights and erudite wit, it drives at the heart of what it is we find so irresistibly delightful when faced with the other people's discomfort. Whether you actively pursue them, only think of them or even try and deny them, your blackest delights are in here somewhere...

Inclusive, wide-ranging, jargon-free and packed with enthusiasm, this is the only guide to classical music you need.

Which famous composer could play the piano at the age of 2? - How long did it take Rossini to compose The Barber of Seville? - Why was Elgar depicted on the back of a GBP20 note? Find out all this and more in Classic Ephemera: A Classic FM Musical Miscellany, the irresistible new collection of facts, figures and amusing anecdotes from Darren Henley and Tim Lihoreau. Covering everything from composer biographies to explanations of the ten most famous operas, Classic Ephemera contains everything you need to know about classical music, and more besides. Amusing, light-hearted but always enlightening, Classic Ephemera is the perfect gift for anyone who loves classical music, history or trivia.

What are the greatest pieces of music ever composed? 'The Classic FM Hall of Fame' celebrates classical music's unique ability to stir the emotions of a listener - whether it's the haunting melodies of Gorecki's 'Symphony of Sorrowful Songs' or Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas'; the passionately charged opening bars of Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 5'; dramatic operas such as Puccini's 'La boheme'; the moving sounds of Rachmaninov's 'Piano Concerto No. 2' and Mozart's 'Clarinet Concerto'; beautiful ballet scores from Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky; or blockbuster film soundtracks composed by John Williams and Howard Shore. Based in fifteen years of selections by Classic FM's millions of listeners for the radio station's annual countdown of the nation's 300 favourite works, this definitive collection encompasses a rich variety of classical greats, contemporary masters, lesser-known treasures and great British composers to provide a fascinating insight into our relationship with the music we love. Darren Henley, Sam Jackson and Tim Lihoreau guide us through the world of classical music and the people responsible for creating and performing it. Combining fascinating histories and biographies, recommended recordings and the ranking of the 300 pieces themselves, this book is as relevant to a new listener discovering the joys of classical music as it is to long-time lovers of the genre. 'The Classic FM Hall of Fame' is a beautifully illustrated testament to the enduring power of classical music to inspire, entertain, relax and invigorate us.

Classic FM's Big Book of Classical Music is a fully illustrated book detailing each day of the year in classical music - the perfect coffee table companion for any classical music lover. Entries contain original illustrations, landmark events taking place on that day, profiles of the great composers, recommended listening, and much more. From the birth of Chopin on 22nd February, to the premiere of the Eroica Symphony on April 7th and the death of Mozart on December 5th, every day reveals a fascinating new musical milestone - the perfect excuse to sit back, relax, and listen to your favourite classical music. Each beautifully-illustrated entry pulls together facts, figures and noteworthy events - including biographies of the essential composers, suggesting listening for each day of the year, musical quotations and a host of other material. The perfect Christmas gift for classical music aficionados and a highly accessible introduction for anyone new to the genre, this beautiful book is an indispensible guide to take you through a year in classical music.

Explore the mind of a bee and learn what drives its behavior.Have you ever observed a bee up close and wondered what was going on inside its head? Like ours, insects' brains take up most of the space in their heads, but their brains are smaller than a grain of rice, only 0.0002% as large as ours. But what purpose does the insect brain serve, and how does that drive their creativity, morality, and emotions? Bees in particular exhibit unexpected and fascinating cognitive skills. In What Do Bees Think About? animal cognition researcher Mathieu Lihoreau examines a century of research into insect evolution and behavior. He explains recent scientific discoveries, recounts researchers' anecdotes, and reflects on the cognition of these fascinating creatures. Lihoreau's and others scientist's research on insects reinforces the importance of protecting and preserving insects such as bees: after all, our survival on the planet is deeply dependent on theirs. This book provides an eye-opening window into the world of insect cognition and echoes an important ecological message about bees—they are intelligent creatures sharing the same fragile ecosystem as us.