The Farewell Symphony, Book with Audio CD

The Farewell Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza, illustrated by JoAnn E. Kitchel

Anna Harwell Celenza's engaging fictionalized telling of the story behind Franz Joseph Haydn's famous symphony is a perfect introduction to classical music and its power. 

The Farewell Symphony brings to life a long summer spent at Esterháza, the summer palace of Prince Nicholas of Esterházy. The blustering, bellowing prince entertained hundreds of guests at his rural retreat and demanded music for every occasion. As the months passed, Haydn was kept very busy writing and performing music for parties, balls, dinners, and even walks in the gardens. His orchestra members became homesick and missed their families. The anger, frustration, and longing of the musicians is expressed beautifully in the symphony born of the clever mind of Joseph Haydn who used it to convince Prince Nicholas that it was time to go home. Wonderfully expressive illustrations by JoAnn E. Kitchel capture all the comedy and pathos of this unique symphony. Beautifully interpretive motifs and borders convey the setting and emotion of the story mirroring the structure of the symphony with the repetitive use of sets of four. Making classical music and history come alive with color and character. 

We have all the books in this series available in our Music Books section.

NOTE: This book is out-of-print and is hard-to-find. Don't miss out!

Book Details:

• Number of Pages: 32
• Book Size: 10" x 10"
• Book Type: Hardcover with Dust Jacket and Audio CD
• Recommended Ages: 5-8
• ISBN 10: 1570914060
• ISBN 13: 978-1570914065
• Published 2000

Book Condition:

• This book is brand new and is in perfect condition. 

Awards:

• Bank Street College of Education's The Best Children's Book of the Year

"The life of a musician has never been easy. When Prince Nicholas takes 22 musicians on an extended visit to his summer palace to provide non-stop music for his guests, he refuses the request of his royal music director, Joseph Haydn, to allow the musician's families to visit. Dejected after many weeks of separation, Haydn writes a composition called "The Farewell Symphony" (Symphony No. 45) to express the musicians' longing for home and family and their contempt for being treated so callously. To ensure that his message will be driven home, Haydn writes an ending in which the musicians are to abruptly leave one by one, until the stage is devoid of life. The author's note describes Haydn's work in the court of Prince Nicholas, utilizing interesting information from archival documents. Written by a classical musician, the personal details of Haydn's life and thoughts surrounding the creation of this piece are solidly grounded in music history and an understanding of this profession. A CD recording of Haydn's symphony is included; performed by the orchestra of St. Luke's, it should bring to life these visual images. The type of instruments used during the 18th century are nicely explained and pictured. Kitchel's watercolor and ink illustrations capture Haydn's dilemma and the Prince's reluctant change of heart most eloquently." - Kirkus Review

Think Outside the Book

To enhance your learning experience, we've provided links below to educational websites regarding the subject matter of this book... we've done the research for you! 

• Keeping Score, Revolutions in Music - Here you can enjoy multimedia biographies which explore in depth the factors that came into play in the lives and works of great composers such as Tchaikovsky, Copeland, Beethoven, and Stravinsky, with the possibility of more as this series unfolds! Includes lesson plans at the "Education" tab at the top of the page. Also includes an area for children.