'Ingenious, elegant, and pleasing - a treat for the most refined listeners and critical judges of musical composition'. Thus wrote Charles Burney in the 18th century about the music of Luigi Boccherini. Here, three centuries later, the renowned cellist Steven Isserlis, in his Foreword to Luigi Boccherini - Musica Amorosa, invites you to enter anew that world of 'sweet, joyous clarity' and 'fathomless beauty' that endow Boccherini's rococo style. 'This', says Isserlis, 'is the music of angels'. Born in 1743 in Italy, in Lucca, famed for its long and distinguished musical tradition, Boccherini spent two thirds of his life in Spain, a vibrant influence that perfuses many of his works. A composer of symphonies, chamber music and vocal works, he excelled as well in creating many sonatas and concertos for the cello. A pioneer in his day of modern cello playing, Boccherini introduced techniques that greatly heightened the cello's range and depth of expression. Incorporating recent international research, this comprehensive new biography sets the composer in his historical context during the turbulent social changes that accompanied the end of the ancien regime and the dawn of the republican era.

`Valentin Berlinsky (1925-2008) was a founding member of the Borodin Quartet and its cellist and mainstay for more than six decades. A proud Russian but also a man of compromise, his was a life lived for and through the Borodin Quartet. This book tells his story in his own words, lovingly compiled and edited by his grand-daughter, Maria Matalaev, from his diaries, correspondence and interviews, and his accounts of his close friendships with the likes of Shostakovich and Richter, Rostropovich and Oistrakh. Supplemented by tributes from family and friends, as well as an impressive annexure giving every performance, broadcast and recording made by the Borodin Quartet, this book constitutes one of the most revealing chronicles of Soviet and post-Soviet Russian musical life. In 2005, at the celebrations for both his 80th birthday and the 60th anniversary of the Borodin Quartet, Valentin Berlinsky sat down at a table with his students and said: `My dears, please, keep going: never leave Russia!'

In Why Beethoven Threw the Stew, renowned cellist Steven Isserlis sets out to pass on to children a wonderful gift given to him by his own cello teacher - the chance to people his own world with the great composers by getting to know them as friends. Witty and informative at the same time, Isserlis introduces us to six of his favourite composers: the sublime genius Bach, the quicksilver Mozart, Beethoven with his gruff humour, the shy Schumann, the prickly Brahms and that extraordinary split personality, Stravinsky. Isserlis brings the composers alive in an irresistible manner that can't fail to catch the attention of any child whose ear has been caught by any of the music described, or anyone entering the world of classical music for the first time. The lively black and white line illustrations provide a perfect accompaniment to the text, and make this book attractive and accessible for children to enjoy on their own or share with an adult.

A unique Companion to J S Bach's iconic Cello Suites from internationally-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis. 'The very model of how to write about music.' Philip Pullman 'An essential companion.' Jeremy Denk, New York Times\ 'Illuminating, accessible and detailed.' Observer Bach's six cello suites for solo cello are among the most cherished works in musical literature. Little-known for some two hundred years after their composition, they have acquired an aura that enthrals audiences worldwide. Internationally renowned cellist Steven Isserlis goes deep into the history and the emotional journey of the suites, bringing to bear all his experience of performance to offer a rewarding companion for everyone, from the casual listener to the performing musician.

'No musician or music lover should be without it.' BBC Music Magazine Robert Schumann was far ahead of his time: his music anticipated a multitude of trends that would spread in the 150 years after his death, and almost every major composer who followed him acknowledged his influence. He was also revolutionary in his attitude to young people; in 1848 he wrote his famous Advice to Young Musicians, a book that is still deeply relevant today. In this volume, celebrated cellist Steven Isserlis has taken Schumann's words of wisdom and set them in a modern context with his own extensive commentary. By turns practical, humorous and profound, this book is a must for aspiring musicians and music-lovers of all ages.

If everybody were to play first violin, we could not have an orchestra. Therefore respect each musician in his own place. There is no end to learning. Originally published in1850, Advice to Young Musicians: Musical Rules for Home and in Life offered composer Robert Schumann's (1810-56) combination of practical advice and poetic words of wisdom for young people beginning their musical education. Presented in aphorisms and short paragraphs, the book's insights remain as valuable today as when it was written. Recognizing the continued resonance of Schumann's words, world-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis, himself a writer of children's books and many articles for young musicians, set out to rescue the work from history. Here, in this beautiful gift edition, he revisits Schumann's work and contributes his own contemporary counsel for musicians and music lovers. For this edition, Isserlis retranslated Schumann's text and arranged it into four thematic sections: "On being a musician," "Playing," "Practicing," and "Composing." Each page is decoratively designed, and accompanying Schumann's original quotation are Isserlis's thoughtful and often humorous glosses. The book concludes with Isserlis's own reflections on his life as a musician and performer: "My Own Bits of Advice (For What They're Worth)." The result is a unique and thought-provoking book that will be treasured by aspiring musicians of any age.