Like many a little girl, the first thing I can remember wanting to be when I grew up was a ballerina. I didn’t walk around my house so much as I danced from room to room. If at all possible, I was clad in a leotard. How did this passion begin?

Tchaikovsky.

When I was 4, my grandmother moved in with us, and she brought along her record collection. It took pretty much no time at all before I was listening to her Nutcracker and Swan Lake highlights album obsessively. But that was just the beginning.

Later I joined the school band playing the coronet and discovered the Haydn Trumpet Concerto. Then in high school, my sister filled our house with her recordings of 19th Century symphonies, especially Dvorak. When I went off to college, I auditioned with an aria from Handel’s Messiah.

It was in college my love of classical music really took off. A good friend first played Arvo Pärt for me (it the Te Deum, a haunting choral piece), and I’ve been a fan ever since. And to say Maria Callas’s 1953 recording of the Puccini opera Tosca changed my life would be an understatement.

My particular passions and obsessions are on full display below in my book, magazine, movie, and database choices. They celebrate Classical Music Month, which comes around every September, although some of us observe the love of classical music year round. In addition to my specific picks, be sure to check out the shopping lists provided for more great books about classical music and the arts.

Books you should know about

Duet by Elise Broach

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Mirabelle is a young goldfinch who lives near the home of Mr. Starek, a piano teacher. Mr. Starek has mostly retired, as his health isn’t what it once was, but he agrees to come out of retirement for a special student. You see, Mr. Starek is a Chopin expert, and an extremely talented 11-year-old pianist, Michael Jin, needs to prepare for a Chopin competition. The only problem is, Michael likes his current teacher and doesn’t want to study with someone new. It doesn’t help that his father isn’t home a lot, and change of any kind is tough for Michael right now. But when Michael finally breaks down and plays something, Mirabelle the goldfinch sings along, and musical magic happens that both Michael and Mirabelle hope to capture again.

Bea Breaks Barriers!: How Florence Beatrice Price’s Music Triumphed Over Prejudice by Caitlin DeLems, illustrated by Tonya Engel

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In 2022 the Philadelphia Orchestra won the Best Orchestral Recording Grammy for their album of Florence Price music, but who is Florence Price? She is Bea Smith, a little girl who grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas at the turn of the 20th Century. She adored music and playing the piano, but her first recital at age 4 had to be held in her family’s home, because African Americans could not perform in public in Little Rock. But as the reader discovers in the lovely picture book, Bea is determined to become a composer, and eventually attends the New England Conservatory of Music, where she was one of only two Black students at the time. From there, she keeps composing in her unique style that blends European composers, like Dvorak, with the spirituals and Juba music of her youth, a combination that wins her fame when Marian Anderson performs one of Price’s songs at her famous concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The Kiss of the Nightingale by Adi Denner

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In an alternative Belle Époque France, young Cleodora and her sister are left penniless and alone. For Cleodora it is even worse, because she is also left without a Talent by which she can make a living. But then she meets a woman who offers her a Singing Talent, an opportunity I would also find extremely tempting, even if it comes with strings attached.

From the publisher: Dahlia offers Cleodora a Singing Talent—a chance to save her beloved sister and rewrite her own fate. From the first instant, Cleodora is bewitched. . . there’s just one catch: she needs to steal an Elite Talent from the prestigious Lenoir family. As Lutèce’s nightingale, Cleodora is the star of the opera’s galas and balls, worlds away from the darkness and dust of home. But the handsome yet infuriating Vicomte Lenoir is nothing like she expected. Soon, the Vicomte’s teasing smiles win her over, even as Dahlia’s seductive whispers linger in her ears. Torn between Dahlia, who gave her everything, and the Vicomte, who holds the price of her freedom, is Cleodora in danger of losing it all? Or can she prove that magic isn’t the only gift that counts?

Diva by Daisy Goodwin

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It’s hard to think of a bigger star performer in the in the last 150 years than Maria Callas. Her voice and stage presence captivated audiences like no other singer in the 20th Century, but her private life was not nearly as successful. Goodwin’s novel focuses on La Divina off the stage, at parties with the likes of Elsa Maxwell and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, as well as her unsuccessful first marriage and subsequent relationship with Aristotle Onassis. But when her relationship with Onassis falls apart and he instead marries Jacqueline Kennedy, Maria is left alone to navigate her next steps personally and professionally.

Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel’s Messiah by Charles King

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The Hallelujah Chorus has to be in the Top 5 most recognizable pieces of music ever composed, but did it come to Handel as easily as it came to your mind just now? In truth, getting the Messiah in front of an audience for the first time was far from simple.

From the publisher: Every Valley presents a depressive dissenter stirred to action by an ancient prophecy; an actress plagued by an abusive husband and public scorn; an Atlantic sea captain and penniless philanthropist; and an African Muslim man held captive in the American colonies and hatching a dangerous plan for getting back home. At center stage is Handel himself, composer to kings but, at midlife, in ill health and straining to keep an audience’s attention. Set amid royal intrigue, theater scandals, and political conspiracy, Every Valley is entertaining, inspiring, unforgettable.

Goodbye Russia: Rachmaninoff in Exile by Fiona Maddocks

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Rachmaninoff is one of my favorite composers, and one of the most notable musicians in history. In addition to his magnificent symphonies and piano concertos, he is also considered by many to be the finest pianist ever recorded, and during his lifetime he was also a much sought-after conductor. In 1917, however, his life massively changed with the Russian Revolution and his decision to leave his homeland. When he left, the majority of his compositions were behind him (including his All-Night Vigil, which I’ve been known to listen to on repeat while snuggled up with a copy of Dostoevsky), but he still had decades of life ahead of him. What was his life like on long tours and in Switzerland and finally Beverly Hills? Maddocks dives into this era of his life like no other biography before.

The Violinist of Venice by Alyssa Palombo

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The leading light of the Venetian music scene at the opening of the 18th Century, Antonio Vivaldi was more than just the composer of the Four Seasons. (Although, seriously, that is some excellent music. Some pieces are popular for a reason.) He was the composer of dozens of operas, an in-demand violinist, and a popular teacher. It is this last role, musical instructor, that Palombo shows him in this fictional romance. A young noblewoman, Adriana d’Amato, loves music and playing the violin, but when her father insists she stop playing, she is forced to find an instructor in secret, and she chooses none other than Vivaldi. But the two end up playing more than just violin duets, which sends their lives down pathways they never imagined.

Between Two Sounds: Arvo Pärt’s Journey to His Musical Language by Joonas Sildre, translated by Adam Cullen

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Arvo Pärt (born 1935) is arguably my favorite living composer, and it turns out his life is as compelling as his music. This gorgeously drawn graphic biography utilizes a stylized musical staff throughout, the lines and notes propelling the reader on the journey of Pärt’s life and growth as a composer. The book looks at his marriages and health problems, as well as the inspirations behind his many styles of composition, including his conversion to Orthodox Christianity. Both his defiance of accepted stylistic movements and embrace of religion caused constant tension for him with Soviet authorities, until he was eventually able to emigrate in 1980. Between Two Sounds is a beautiful and moving story of creativity and belief.

If you’re interested in exploring more titles that center around classical music specifically and the arts in general, you can explore some of our full readers’ advisory lists:

Hot Off the Press

Want to know who’s scheduled to sing at La Scala this season? Has your favorite pianist recorded a new album recently? All these answers and more can be found in Gramophone Magazine, which always has the latest news about performances and recordings from around the world.

Get Gramophone and more when you add OverDrive Magazines to your digital collection. Visit the Simultaneous Use section of Marketplace to get started.

Learn more about OverDrive Magazines here.

 

Must-Watch Films

Becoming Traviata (2012)

Watch on Kanopy here.

This documentary goes behind the scenes of the 2012 production of Verdi’s opera La Traviata at the Aix-en-Provence festival. The production stars one of the greatest acting singers to ever grace the opera stage, Natalie Dessay, as Violetta, one of opera’s most challenging roles. Joining her are Charles Castronovo as her great love, Alfredo, and the remarkable Ludovic Tezier as Alfredo’s meddling father. Seeing how these three build their roles and relationships is enthralling for anyone interested in acting or opera. And honestly, the sparks flying as Dessay and Castronovo rehearse their Act 1 love duet might have the viewer rewinding. Not that I’m speaking from experience here.

The Great Works of Sacred Music (2015)

Watch on Kanopy here.

The roots of classical music are in the church, so to fully appreciate the musical form, a dive into sacred music is a must. And what better way to learn everything you ever wanted to know about sacred music than via The Great Courses? This 16-part lecture series covers Gregorian Chant to Bach to that Messiah oratorio everyone is always talking about, and much more, including Mozart’s remarkable Requiem to Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

Michael Tilson Thomas: Where Now Is (2020)

Watch on Kanopy here.

Tilson Thomas is one of the central figures in American classical music. I’ve personally been especially enthralled by him since listening to his amazing recording of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, in which he conducts the orchestra to accompany Gershwin’s original piano rolls. This PBS documentary examines Tilson Thomas’s early years studying with such greats as Igor Stravinsky and Aaron Copland, and on into his long career featuring a tireless support of American classical music.

A little Extra something

Support your community by diversifying your Libby offerings with Libby Extras. Today we’re highlighting Stingray Classica.

Stingray Classica is the world’s premium classical music destination, dedicated to classical music, opera, and ballet.

Test run Libby Extras to see how each service can entertain and educate your patrons.

Thank you for joining us on this round up of Classical Music Month materials! Reach out to your Digital Content Librarian or Account Manager for more information on how to provide the best content for your community.

About the author: Shelia Mawdsley did everything from answering questions at the Reference Desk to tech training to running a classic lit book club in her 17 years in public libraries. Now she helps other public libraries make the most of their OverDrive collections. In her spare time, she’s either writing or reading, usually with an opera playing in the background. If you ever run into her, ask Shelia about #WITMonth.