Anna Gooding-Call is a librarian and writer originally from rural central New York. She got her BA in the city that inspired "The Twilight Zone" and confirms that the hitchhikers really are weird there. Today, she lives in Massachusetts with her wife and two cats.
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Classical music gets a bad name. However, contrary to common belief, sonatas are not just for boring old white guys. Classical music is passionate. It’s profound. There’s also a lot of it. If you like music but think you don’t like classical music, then it’s possible that you just haven’t found your niche. You might find you hate Mozart (hello, friend!) but love the work of Hildegard von Bingen. If you’re ready for something new and different in your streaming music playlist, give these eight subversive books about classical music a try. You might be surprised at what you hear.
This book is invaluable. The research is fantastic, the insight sharp, and the history ground-shaking. For example: did you know that Beethoven had African ancestors? That his contemporaries commented on his “Spanish” complexion and ostracized him for it?
That’s right. YOU DID NOT. Alexander does. Read his book, it’ll blow your mind.
Black performers and music weave into classical composition and performance going back hundreds of years. If you like the music of Dvorak or Copeland, then congratulations, because you’re listening to music heavily influenced by jazz and spirituals invented by the Black community.
The sex and the drugs are certainly a big part of classical music—obvs, did you not know that?—but what stands out about this book is that it covers the musicians who aren’t stars. In a city where you can find violinists literally on the subway, the average musician’s got to compete hard for any job.
Punks know that music can rock the world. Hippies know it too, and folk singers. But did you know that BEETHOVEN knew it? It’s true! The big Romantic composer we all know and love wrote music in a context of dramatic social, economic, political, spiritual, musical change. It’s badass. Read all about it.
Think of a time when you saw a white person with tattoos of a Christian cross, an Ohm, and the Chinese character for “toothpaste” on the same arm. (Don’t judge too hard. They thought it meant “Buddha.”) If Western cultural appropriation gets you down, know that other cultures have borrowed from the West too. Case in point: in the 1800s, China decided that it loved European classical music and now arguably does it better than the Europeans do. Here’s that story.
I think what I like most about this book is that it reveals that Richard Wagner was probably a cross-dresser. If that doesn’t convince you to read it, then I can’t help you.
One of the cool things you can do with classical music is a female-only listening streak. This book will start you off strong with Fanny Hensel, Clara Schumann, Barbara Strozzi, and more. What? You mean you’ve never heard of those ladies? Strike a blow against the longstanding sexism of classical composition by learning and loving a female music writer.
Finally, this is the book to read if you’re a complete newcomer to classical music. It’s a sampler, a schedule, and an opportunity to expand your listening horizons. You may be surprised by what appeals to you! By the end, you’ll be hooked on something, whether that’s sweeping Romantic symphonies or modern orchestral jazz.
