AUDIOBOOKS
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.What exactly are recitative and ralentado? How did the oratorio develop into opera, and chorale become concerto? Huge numbers of us like to hum along with Pavarotti and tap our feet to the "March of the Toreadors", but have a profound inferiority complex about our general knowledge of music. Listening to The History of Classical Music (Naxos, 5hrs+, pounds 9.99 tape; pounds 14.99 CD) is like witnessing the scattered pieces of a half-familiar jigsaw being fitted into an orderly historical frame extending from Hildegarde of Bingen to Benjamin Britten. Robert Powell, one of the very best readers of the spoken word, reads Richard Fawkes's fascinating text with interested intelligence. The four tapes are punctuated by dozens of examples of the music in question, with informative cover notes for those who want to hear more.
Christina Hardyment
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments