Huge List of Books for Composer Study

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HUGE list of books for composer study! Over 75 books organized by time period and composer. There is also a list of bonus activities!

I recently put together a list of resources for teaching music study in your homeschool for Free Homeschool Deals (coming soon). As I was compiling the list of online resources, I thought it might be nice to have a list of some of the many books available for the various composers. Whether you purchase the books or look for them at your local library, they are sure to add depth to your homeschool routine.

The Amazon links in this post are affiliate posts, which means I earn a very small commission if you purchase something after clicking on the link. This costs you nothing and helps to offset the costs of maintaining the blog. You also have my gratitude, which let’s face it, is priceless.

I have divided the composers by time period and most composers have more than one title available. Some of the books come with CD’s with audio files to enjoy as well.

Updated to note: A lovely reader commented with a good reminder that you will always want to preview material before reading it to your children. She specifically noted the first book by Kathleen Krull as having material that some may not consider appropriate for children. Thank you, Heather, for the heads up!

Multiple Composers

Early/Medieval Composers 476-1600

When it comes to medieval times, I could not find more than the one book below that would work for composer study. I did come across a section on About.com called Composers/Musicians of the Middle Ages that had some listed with links to other resources. You may find that interesting.

Guido D’Arezzo

Baroque Composers 1600-1760

Johann Sebastian Bach

George Frideric Handel

Henry Purcell

Antonio Vivaldi

Classical Composers 1730-1820

Joseph Boulogne/Saint-George

Franz Joseph Haydn

Maria Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Nicolo Paganini

Romantic Composers 1815-1910

Ludwig Beethoven

Hector Berlioz

Johann Brahms

Frederic Chopin

Franz Schubert

Robert Schumann

John Philip Sousa

Peter Tchiakovsky

Giuseppe Verdi

Richard Wagner

Twentieth Century Composers 1900-2000

Leonard Bernstein

Aaron Copland

Duke Ellington

George Gershwin

Marvin Hamlisch

Charles Ives

Sergei Prokofiev

Igor Stravinsky

Additional Resources

I am adding this post to Teach Beside Me’s Share It Saturday and Upside Down Homeschooling’s Hearts for Home.

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Comments

  1. Jenni says
    May 25, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this – I am getting to grips properly with a Charlotte Mason approach this year and had been spending lots of time trying to match historical figures to time periods – this matches perfectly with the art study time periods we have been doing!! So easy to pick a composer! Thanks!!

    Reply
  2. Heather G. says
    May 25, 2013 at 9:21 pm

    This is a great list! One of the things I remember most about being homeschooled was my mom having us learn about and appreciate classical composers and music! Thank you for compiling this list!

    Reply
  3. Kristen @ Joyfullythriving says
    May 26, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    What a fabulous list! I use the “Lives of the Musicians” to introduce composers in my music class. The kids love it. I use some of the others, too, but am thankful to have such a complete list of books to use. Thanks for sharing, Vicki!

    Reply
  4. Rachel @ Rachel's Giveaways says
    May 29, 2013 at 11:52 am

    This is a nice list! It takes me back to my days as a child taking piano lessons.

    Reply
    • Vicki says
      May 29, 2013 at 1:21 pm

      Thanks! My children are currently taking piano lessons, but they aren’t quite ready for playing classical. My oldest is getting there though. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Kendall says
    June 3, 2013 at 3:59 pm

    This is a fantastic list! The breakdown is wonderful!

    Reply
  6. Heather Rowell says
    June 12, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    Love your site!

    Wanted to let you know that some of the info in “Lives of the Composers” by Krull seem to be a bit too mature for children in my opinion. Of course, it’s always a good idea to read any stories ahead of time so you don’t end up in a sticky situation. But the illustrations and info are so great!

    Reply
    • Vicki says
      June 13, 2013 at 5:37 am

      Thank you for that reminder! I will make a note in the post because I know many mamas (like myself) appreciate the heads up. Thanks again!

      Reply
  7. Joy says
    June 17, 2013 at 2:14 pm

    This is an amazing list! I can’t wait to get some of these books!

    Reply
  8. Tonia (@SunnyPatchBlog) says
    January 14, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    Awesome list! We do a simple weekly composer study – your list will really come in handy with planning!

    Reply

Trackbacks

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  2. Websites Frugal Homeschoolers Need says:
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