Biographies of Musicians and Composers
 Beethoven
Lives Upstairs by Barbara Nichol, illustrated by Scott Cameron. Orchard
Press, 1999. Technically, this is biographical fiction, since it's written from
the viewpoint of a fictional ten-year-old boy in a series of letters he writes
to his uncle. Christoph, whose father has died, is horrified because his mother
has rented a room to a "madman" who turns out to be Beethoven. He gradually
learns more about Mr. Beethoven when his Uncle Karl, a music student in Salzburg
answers his many letters, in which he shares things he's learned about
Beethoven's life. One thing he learns is that Beethoven is in the process of
writing his Ninth Symphony, and that the process of writing it is what might be
causing what Christoph perceives as madness. But Beethoven sees that Christoph
and his mother get tickets to hear the symphony when it is performed, and this
musical experience leads him to a better understanding of his eccentric neighbor
upstairs, who moves out shortly after completing the symphony. Unpaginated
picture book. BTH-4309. $5.36-D
 Making
Music: Leonard Bernstein by Shirley Bernstein, the author's
sister. Enclopaedia Britannica Press,1963. Very good hardcover library discard
with good jacket. 192 pages. The jacket is moderately worn at edges and corners,
with some chipping and small tears, and is rubbed. The jacket spine ends are
missing small pieces of the paper. Bottom of front jacket flap is clipped, but
price is still at the top. Cover is red with gilt star design and lettering.
This has been in a school library and has the usual markings on spine and pages,
as well as pocket and date slip. But it appears not to have been read or checked
out. Pages are clean and bright. Children can learn how Bernstein became
America's first native-born, home-trained conductor of a major symphony and how
he combined his many talents to build a career which is as exciting as a novel.
BT2350. $8.50-U (B)
 Mozart,
by Peggy Woodford. Library discard, with all the trimmings,
rebound by library, illustrated front cover. No jacket. Page 9 has a small stain
on edge of book in margin. Otherwise in very good condition. A biography of
Mozart for upper elementary students. 103 pages with bibliography. Part of The
Composers and Their Times" series. BT-592, 10.00-U (B)
 Wolferl:
The First Six Years in the Life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1762 by
Lisl Weil. Holiday House, 1991, first edition, hardcover with dust jacket. G/G.
Surrounded by music from his birth, with a father who could recognize his
talent, young Mozart had the talent and the background for becoming a child
prodigy. Along with his sister, he toured the courts of Europe while still a
child. The author's humorous color illustrations are a perfect match for the
story. Condition: At first I thought this was very good, but then discovered a
tear in the cloth quarter binding at the bottom beside the spine on the back
that is bumped up about a quarter of an inch. Other than that, there is only
minor wear to the boards which is hardly noticeable. The dust jacket has some
wear at all corners and ends of spine, a tear on the bottom near and on the
spine that matches tear underneath, and light rubbing and chipping at edges.
There is also a faded square spot at the top corner of the jacket front where a
price tag used to be.The pages are clean with no writing. BTH-3266. $8.50-U
 Young
Mozart by Rachel Isadora. Penguin Puffin, 1997. This delightful picture
book biography introduces children to the young Mozart, who music career began
at the age of four. By the time he was seven he could compose his own music as
he played it. The book focuses on Mozart's childhood and the most important
events in his adult life. Unpaginated. BTH-4292. $5.39-D
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