When Do I Clap?: A Slightly Irreverent Guide to Classical Music and Concert Hall Conduct

Rating:
Summary: Naked Classical
Review: I really like this! Let's say authors are like oil painters. If that's so, author Valerie Cruice paints with paint thinner..strips and dissolves the droll mystique and class stuffiness of the haute classical world and shows a glimpse of the real people behind the incredible musical talents.
Because of this book, I now feel completely at home exploring my new love of the Baroque period, wearing a tee-shirt.
And, I don't get to concert halls too often, but when I do, at least now I'll know when to clap...plus when it's okay to laugh and weep at the brilliant minds behind these works....without worrying what the statue sitting next to me might think.
For candor's sake, maybe a little too much paint thinner, but who cares. Now, my new love is Baroque! Thanks for the pleasant introduction!

Rating:
Summary: A big misfire
Review: Ms. Cruice oddly enough accomplishes the total opposite of what she sets out to do. Her recommendations about concert hall conduct actually gum up the problem she sees even further, and renders it more elitist and exclusive.

There's one hard and fast rule, and only one. Don't clap while there's sound being made. As a music professional in New York City, I find her dumbed-down style behind this introduction very sad. It's "irreverence" takes the form of mindless jokeyness (one possible answer for a what a "fugue" is reads 'a dispute between Hatfields and McCoys') rather than loving humor.

Check out Classical Music for Dummies for a more thorough, funnier, and inclusive introduction to the world of classical music.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to classical music and concerts
Review: Valerie Cruice treats the somber world of classical music with a lighthearted touch that is a joy to read. A great introduction to the world of the concert hall for those who are unfamiliar with it, but also full of interesting insights to the world's best-known composers for real music fans. Good reading and reference for all ages, it makes a terrific addition to a school's music department or library collection.