The Magic of Music is the ultimate home learning experience on four
CD-ROMs. Learn about the history of jazz, music cultures, classical music,
and so much more! Enjoy presentations and photos while on your journey
through music history.
Through the Classical Period
Trace the evolution of Western classical music from Gregorian chant to the works
of Ludwig van Beethoven, whose career marks a turning point in musical history.
Explore medieval plainchant and the music of troubadours, renaissance choral
works and madrigals, baroque opera and the concerto, and the classical symphony
and sonata-allegro form. Includes an 89-minute multimedia presentation and
more than 830 photos.
Romanticism to Contemporary
Survey the history of Western classical music, from Beethovens Eroica to
Coplands Rodeo. Understand polyphony, dissonance, and tonality. Learn how the
emotional quality of Beethovens works impacted the symphonic form. Explore
Wagners contributions to opera, Stravinskys focus on rhythm, and Coplands
synthesis of jazz and classical elements. Includes an 89-minute multimedia
presentation and more than 850 photos.
Music and Culture
Discover how three different cultural groups; sub-Saharan Africans, Native
Americans, and Polynesians, express their heritage through music. Listen to a
variety of musical excerpts, and learn how geography influences music.
Experience the spirited call-and-response pattern of African song, the
ceremonial beat of Native American tribal drums, and the rhythmical movements of
Polynesian dance. Includes a 40-minute presentation and more than 610
photos.
History of Jazz
Trace the beginnings of jazz from the honky-tonks of New Orleans at the turn of
the century, to its golden age in Chicago, to the dance halls of New York City
in the1930s and 1940 - decades when swing was king and the big band sound was
all the rage. Follow the aggressive bebop sound of the 1940s, the cool jazz of
the 1950s, and the soulful modern jazz introduced in the 1960s. Includes a
70-minute multimedia presentation and more than 470 photos.
"The Magic of Music")
