Raising the Roof: A Dazzling History of Classical Music and its Colourful Characters Book Review

Composer and broadcaster Jack Pepper introduces the world of classical music – and its colourful characters – as you’ve never seen it before… LET’S ROCK!

Informal, raucous and sometimes scandalous, the heroes of classical music are often far from the composed images they’re portrayed as. Take a walk in the shoes of 20 original rock stars from the last millennium and find out what it really takes to write a timeless classical hit.

Rub shoulders with Mozart, Bach and Beethoven, as well as unsung trailblazers, including Hildegard of Bingen, Barbara Strozzi and Joseph Bologne, who paved the way for contemporary movie music-maker Hans Zimmer and video game composer Nobuo Uematsu.

Listen as you read, using the playlist inside. Along the way, explore the history of classical music, learn about sounds and key concepts (including symphony, opera and concerto), how classical still influences music today and the future sound.

Author Jack Pepper introduces the fascinating world of classical music, along with its colourful characters, in an engaging and fun non-fiction text, which is packed with information. Take a tour of musical history, and learn your timbre from your tempo! Get to know 20 great composers including child prodigy Mozart, pioneering musician Florence Price and film score composer Hans Zimmer – and find out what it takes to write a timeless classical hit!

Starting with what the author terms the “ingredients of sounds” giving brief explanations of key terms such as pitch, melody and register. He then moves on to different types of classical music and the terms used to describe them, such as symphonies, concertos, operas, and choral – explaining exactly what they are and giving key examples of them in action. As a non musician I found these explanations incredibly interesting and easy to understand, I will feel much more confident talking about music in future.

Following this is a series of double-page spread biographies of famous and not-so-famous composers, from Hildegard of Bingen to Gerschwin, by way of Mozart and Bach. As well as providing insights into musical history, these biographies also provide glimpses into private lives and historical times, whether that be links to Suffragettes or mysterious deaths – encouraging readers to use this book as a starting point to further musical explorations.

My favourite part of the text was the listen-as-you-read section, with over 40 classical pieces covering 1,000 years of music. The story doesn’t stop here, as classical continues to influence music today and future sounds. Children and adults alike will recognise more pieces than they think! Informal, funny and written with infectious enthusiasm, this book is sure to inspire the budding composer in every reader and open up this dazzling world of music to new musicians, vocabulary and music they have never heard before. The perfect read for any music lover who wants to be inspired or simply find out more about classical music and the impact it has today.