On the occasion of Mozart's two hundred and fiftieth birthday, read Maynard Solomon's Mozart: A Life, universally hailed as the Mozart biography of our time.

Explores the unlikely bond between the famous Austrian composer and his pet starling, providing an unexpected window into human-animal friendships, music, and the nature of creative inspiration.

Examines the life of eighteenth-century composer Ludwig van Beethoven, discussing his difficult childhood, early gift for music, volatile personality, hearing loss, and the influence of other composers on his work. Includes twenty-one related activities.

An esteemed music historian provides a rich, detailed overview of the life of Ludwig van Beethoven, traveling from Enlightenment-era Bonn to the musical capital of Europe, Vienna, to vividly describe the composer's career, ill health and romantic rejections.

A biography of the nineteenth-century German composer of many works for individual instruments, voices, orchestras, and choirs, including "Wiegenlied," or "Cradle Song," popularly known as "Brahm's Lullaby."

"One of the most successful and distinguished artists of our time, Andrew Lloyd Webber has reigned over the musical theatre world for nearly five decades. The winner of numerous awards, including multiple Tonys and an Oscar, Lloyd Webber has enchanted millions worldwide with his music and numerous hit shows, including Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera--Broadway's longest running show--and most recently, School of Rock....

Highlights the life and achievements of the eighteenth-century German composer and musician, and examines the development of his most important compositions.

"August 2014 marks 50 years since Bob Dylan released his remarkable fourth album, Another Side of Bob Dylan. Recorded in one night, in the middle of a turbulent year in his life, the album marked a departure from Dylan's socially-conscious folk songs and began his evolution toward other directions. Few people outside Dylan's immediate family have ever been closer than Victor Maymudes, who was Dylan's tour manager, personal friend, and travelling companion...

In September 1941, Adolf Hitler's Wehrmacht surrounded Leningrad in what was to become one of the longest and most destructive sieges in Western history -- almost three years of bombardment and starvation that culminated in the harsh winter of 1943-1944. More than a million citizens perished. Survivors recall corpses littering the frozen streets, their relatives having neither the means nor the strength to bury them. Residents burned books, furniture,...