Few people in recent memory have dedicated themselves as devotedly to the story of twentieth- century American music as Rob Kapilow, the composer, conductor, and host of the hit NPR music radio program, What Makes It Great? Now, in Listening for America, he turns his keen ear to the Great American Songbook, bringing many of our favorite classics to life through the songs and stories of eight of the twentieth century's most treasured American composers-Kern, Porter, Gershwin, Arlen, Berlin, Rodgers, Bernstein, and Sondheim. Hardly confi ning himself to celebrating what makes these catchy melodies so unforgettable, Kapilow delves deeply into how issues of race, immigration, sexuality, and appropriation intertwine in masterpieces like Show Boat and West Side Story. A book not just about musical theater but about America itself, Listening for America is equally for the devotee, the singer, the music student, or for anyone intrigued by how popular music has shaped the larger culture, and promises to be the ideal gift book for years to come.

A fresh guide to classical music from the acclaimed creator of NPR's ""What Makes It Great""(TM)

Rob Kapilow has been helping audiences hear more in great music for two decades with his "What Makes It Great?" series on NPR's "Performance Today, " at Lincoln Center, and in concert halls throughout the US and Canada. In this book, he focuses on short masterpieces by major composers to help you understand the essence of each composer's genius and how each piece--which can be heard on the book's web site--transformed the musical language of its time. Kapilow's down-to-earth approach makes music history easy to grasp no matter what your musical background.Explores the musical styles and genius of great classical composers, including Vivaldi, Handel, J.S. Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Chopin, Puccini, Wagner, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, and DebussyFeatures an accompanying web site where you can see, hear, and download each short masterpiece and all of the book's musical examplesIntroduces you in depth to popular pieces from the classical repertoire, including ""Spring"" from the Four Seasons (Vivaldi), ""Dove Sono"" from The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart), the Prelude to Tristan and Isolde (Wagner), and ""Trepak"" from The Nutcracker Suite (Tchaikovsky)Written by acclaimed composer, conductor, and pianist Rob Kapilow: ""You could practically see the light bulbs going on above people's heads"" ("The Philadelphia Inquirer"); ""Rob Kapilow is awfully good at what he does"" ("The Boston Globe"); ""A wonderful guy who brings music alive "" (Katie Couric)

This book, along with the music on the companion web site, is an ideal starting point for anyone interested in classical music, whether first-time listener, experienced concertgoer or performing musician, offering an entree into the world of eighteen great composers and a collection of individual masterpieces spanning almost two hundred years.

Rob Kapilow has been helping audiences hear more in great music for almost twenty years with his "What Makes It Great?" series on NPR, at Lincoln Center, and in concert halls throughout the US and Canada. In this book, he gives you a set of tools you can use when listening to any piece of music in order to hear its "plot"--its story told in notes. The musical examples are available free for download to help you hear the ideas presented. Whether you are an experienced concertgoer or a newcomer to classical music, the listening principles Kapilow shares will help you ""get"" music in an exciting, fresh new way.

""Kapilow gets audiences in tune with classical music at a deeper and more immediate level than many of them thought possible.""
--"Los Angeles Times"

""Rob Kapilow is awfully good at what he does. We need him.""
--"The Boston Globe"

""A wonderful guy who brings music alive ""
--Katie Couric

""Rob Kapilow leaps into the void dividing music analysis from appreciation and fills it with exhilarating details and sensations.""
--"The New York Times"

""You could practically see the light bulbs going on above people's heads. . . . The audience could decipher the music in a new, deeper way. It was the total opposite of passive listening.""
--"The Philadelphia Inquirer"