The history of music for everyone – poems

From the History of Music for Everyone-Rhymes is the first illustrated history of music for children prepared by the Szczecin Philharmonic. The protagonists of the story are the greatest masters of classical music – Mozart, Chopin, Wagner, and The Beatles. We show their true faces in humorous verses and drawings.

To the merchant, the jockey, the chess player bold, Johann Sebastian Bach, from Eisenach, we're told. Of his compositions, I can truly declare, He penned over a thousand with masterful flair," begins the chapter on the Baroque period, presenting the silhouette of one of the greatest European composers. In the illustration, you can see a caricature of the musician drinking coffee and smiling at the young reader. The subsequent parts get even funnier – thanks to two authors, Grzegorz Wasowski and Ernest Gonzales, who, throughout their work, never forget who their extraordinary tale is aimed at.

From the History of Music for Everyone-Rhymes is the result of a collaboration between a famous satirist and a popular illustrator – it's a history of classical (and not only) music told with extraordinary humour. The authors guide children through all epochs: from prehistory and antiquity through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Romanticism to modern times. One composer represents each epoch. Among the most significant names, such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Haydn, and Ludwig van Beethoven, there are stars of twentieth-century music. The hilarious parade of great composers ends with chapters on The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, or the famous German band Kraftwerk.

The book's colourful design allows complex subjects to be tackled with ease, and thanks to the creators' humour, a great composer becomes a sympathetic and familiar figure. All of this makes From the History of Music for Everyone-Rhymes an unconventional way for the youngest readers to first encounter music and a different perspective on its history. It is achieved with a sense of distance and a wink.

Year of publication: 2016
Initiator: Dorota Serwa
Author of rhymes: Grzegorz Wasowski
Illustrations: Ernesto Gonzales
Softcover, format 22.2 x 24 cm, 10 pages
Publisher: Mieczysław Karłowicz Szczecin Philharmonic
Price: 52 PLN