Lives of the Musicians, Kathleen Krull
Lives of the Musicians, Kathleen Krull
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Lives of the Musicians
Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought)

Author: Kathleen Krull

Narrator: John C. Brown, Melissa Hughes

Unabridged: 1 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/30/2010

Synopsis

It's no secret that Beethoven went deaf, that Mozart had constant money problems, and that Gilbert and Sullivan wrote musicals. But what were these people—and other famous musicians—really like? What did they eat? What did they wear? How did they spend their time? What were they like as children? What were their phobias, obsessions, and bad habits? And what did their neighbors think of it all? Here are the fascinating and often humorous stories of twenty famous musicians—people of all shapes, sizes, temperaments, and lifestyles, from various countries and historical periods, beginning with Vivaldi and ending with Woody Guthrie. Accompanied by brilliant caricatures, Lives of the Musicians will appeal to those who love music, to those who like to hear the story behind a famous name, and to just about everyone else.

About Kathleen Krull

Kathleen Krull (1952–2021) was a multiaward–winning children’s book author. She graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, and worked for four companies as a children’s book editor. While on the job, she wrote mysteries in the Trixie Belden series and other books. She then began working at home, writing her own books and getting the chance to explore subjects she was passionate about, including history, music, and extraordinary people. Awards for her body of work include the 2011 Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award, Leo Politi Golden Author Award, Lucia Russell Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award, California Reading Association’s Armin R. Schulz Literacy Award for promoting social justice thru books 2016, and the International Literary Association and Greater San Diego Reading Association Celebrate Literacy Award, among others.

About John C. Brown

John C. Brown is a narrator of children’s and young adult books. Some of his credits include My Brother Sam Is Dead, Lives of the Presidents, and Lives of Musicians.

About Melissa Hughes

Melissa Hughes’ career began in radio, where she was a staff announcer, DJ, and voice-over artist. Working in England for many years, she starred in the BBC Radio drama Trouble Brewing, appeared in numerous plays, and created the screams for the character of Lois Lane, as well as other voices in the film Superman.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Benjamin on June 19, 2011

An entertaining survey of living,breathing anecdotes about 20 of the greatest musicians that ever lived. From Antonio Vivaldi to Woody Guthrie,it's an irresistible package,leaving you hungry to know more about this amazing artists. Kathleen Krull has done an amazing job collecting all the fact,and p......more

Goodreads review by Susan on April 06, 2015

Krull has compiled an enjoyable assortment of sketches on 16 famous musicial giants that will have readers rushing to the stereo. In three or four pages each, such masters as Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky; popular composers such as Gilbert & Sullivan, Joplin, and Gershwin; and even fol......more

Goodreads review by Elisa on November 07, 2007

Okay, if you have ever heard of more than three famous composers, you need to read this book. This highlights 20-ish of the more noted composers of all time...but not with the typical historical perspective. Rather, it is commentary on how their habits shaped their lives, and what the neighbors obse......more

Goodreads review by mrshaileywhite on March 14, 2015

An incredible book for the young aspiring musician, as well as the seasoned musician. We checked this out at our library over 5 times in a row and when we finally had to return it, I put it on my book list to purchase! My 8 year old daughter loves it and has read it cover to cover many times.......more

Goodreads review by Karen on April 27, 2015

This is a great book. We had to return it to the library so I found a used copy and bought it on Amazon. Wonderful book to use throughout the year when we do unit studies on each of the musicians.......more

Quotes

“Engaging and conversational…Families will find these entertaining recordings memorable introductions to the great artistic virtuosos.” AudioFile

“This book is never dull…fascinating details.” Booklist

Awards

  • Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
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