Listen to a sample
The Story of Music
- Author
- Howard Goodall
- Narrator
- Howard Goodall
- Publisher
- Random House
- Publish Date
- 21 March 2013
- Run Time
- 12 hours 36 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
*** Accompanies BBC2's major new TV series and The Story of Music in 50 Pieces on Radio 3 ***
Music is an intrinsic part of everyday life, and yet the history of its development from single notes to multi-layered orchestration can seem bewilderingly specialised and complex.
In his dynamic tour through 40,000 years of music, from prehistoric instruments to modern-day pop, Howard Goodall does away with stuffy biographies, unhelpful labels and tired terminology. Instead he leads us through the story of music as it happened, idea by idea, so that each musical innovation – harmony, notation, sung theatre, the orchestra, dance music, recording, broadcasting – strikes us with its original force. He focuses on what changed when and why, picking out the discoveries that revolutionised man-made sound and bringing to life musical visionaries from the little-known Pérotin to the colossus of Wagner. Along the way, he also gives refreshingly clear descriptions of what music is and how it works: what scales are all about, why some chords sound discordant and what all post-war pop songs have in common.
The story of music is the story of our urge to invent, connect, rebel – and entertain. Howard Goodall’s beautifully clear and compelling account is both a hymn to human endeavour and a groundbreaking map of our musical journey.
Critics Review
-
A lively zip through some 45 milennia
Sunday Times
-
Goodall is an engaging and erudite guide and this work is both accessible and illuminating
Daily Express
-
Great length but still leavened with lively wit
Telegraph
-
[Goodall] knows his stuff, and tells it well
Guardian
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Highly knowledgeable, and a brilliant communicator, Goodall has an infectious enthusiasm and is genuinely respectful of all forms of music
Good Book Guide
-
Now comes Howard Goodall and all of everyone's prayers are answered ... He is sharply witty and entirely on the ball, but he never acts the smart ass and, most importantly, he obviously has deep knowledge of what he is talking about ... I prophesy that it will not only win prizes but change lives
Daily Telegraph
-
The Story of Music is a lively zip through some 45 millennia … jumping back and forth between classical, folk and pop
Sunday Times
-
An accessible guide to roughly 42,000 years of music in just over 300 pages that manages neither to sacfrifice precise detail nor pugnacious opinion ... Goodall is unfailingly acute ... a clever, engaging read
Scotland on Sunday
-
He starts right at the beginning, with 25,000-year-old bone flutes ... It's a huge brief, made huger by Goodall's alertness to new thinking in scholarly circles, and his fondness for interesting asides ... a racily written, learned and often shrewdly insightful book
Daily Telegraph (Review)
-
A roller-coaster ride, which Goodall tells with verve... a racily written, learned and often shrewdly insightful book
Daily Telegraph
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
A most instructive and entertaining production by Howard Goodall. Is unravels many of the mysteries and doubts most people have regarding musical genres.
It would have been very, very interesting had musical examples being placed along the way.
However, one cannot deny the authors genuine enthusiasm for his subject. Well worth a listen.Geoff Miles 2023-10-08
Details
- Author
- Howard Goodall
- Narrator
- Howard Goodall
- Duration
- 12 hours 36 minutes
- Release Date
- 21 March 2013
- ISBN
- 9781448178193
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Random House
- Genre
- History of music, Popular culture, Theory of music and musicology
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
*** Accompanies BBC2's major new TV series and The Story of Music in 50 Pieces on Radio 3 *** Music is an intrinsic part of everyday life, and yet the history of its development from single notes to multi-layered orchestration can seem bewilderingly specialised and complex.In his dynamic tour through 40,000 years of music, from prehistoric instruments to modern-day pop, Howard Goodall does away with stuffy biographies, unhelpful labels and tired terminology. Instead he leads us through the story of music as it happened, idea by idea, so that each musical innovation – harmony, notation, sung theatre, the orchestra, dance music, recording, broadcasting – strikes us with its original force. He focuses on what changed when and why, picking out the discoveries that revolutionised man-made sound and bringing to life musical visionaries from the little-known Pérotin to the colossus of Wagner. Along the way, he also gives refreshingly clear descriptions of what music is and how it works: what scales are all about, why some chords sound discordant and what all post-war pop songs have in common.The story of music is the story of our urge to invent, connect, rebel – and entertain. Howard Goodall’s beautifully clear and compelling account is both a hymn to human endeavour and a groundbreaking map of our musical journey.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.