Books in the Unlocking the Masters series

Victor Lederer surveys the music of Hector Berlioz, one of the most pioneering orchestrators in history, and introduces the general music lover to both his masterpieces such as Les Troyens and lesser known gems.A bold innovator in the 19th century, Berlioz was a musical dramatist with an output that is less familiar than it should be and often misunderstood. His most famous and popular pieces are the thrilling programmatic symphonies, the Symphonie fantastique and Harold en Italie. The "dramatic symphonies" Roméo et Juliette and La damnation de Faust are both driven by conflict and excitement, which contrast his piercing, long-limbed melodies and startling harmonic shifts. Berlioz''s strongly profiled musical style possesses high rhythmic energy, and manic outbursts that are instantly identifiable as his, and he is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and effective orchestrators in history. The book is accompanied by online audio tracks to select Berlioz works from the Naxos library.

Of all the biggest-name composers Handel probably wrote the most truly great music that no one knows about. This book takes the curious listener through his entire output from his earliest works in Italy through his more than 40 operas and including the famous English oratorios on which his reputation largely rests. Along the way it examines his orchestral music the pieces he wrote for England''s lavish royal ceremonies and his surprisingly limited production of sacred music. Just as important the book surveys and recommends recordings of all of the music discussed so that listeners can acquire a music collection of whatever depth suits them best while the included CD features top-notch recordings from the Harmonia Mundi label of a wide range of Handel''s music in all of the major media in which he worked both vocal and instrumental. Few composers cared more than Handel about pleasing his listeners and creating a body of work that was both entertaining and fun. It''s time to blow away the Victorian cobwebs that have dogged his reputation and discover just how much there is to enjoy.