Here is the story of Ludwig van Beethoven, greatest master of all, told with feeling and delicate skill for boys and girls. Perhaps he, too, will become a musician, like all the Beethovens! said Father Johann...From then on, the four-year-old Ludwig was kept at the piano hour after hour until the long exercises were mastered. The chiming bells in the chapel tower comforted him and wonderful melodies crept into his mind as the twilight crept over the city... So...then you are a composer, as well as an organist, said Herr Zenser, the chapel organist. But Ludwig - this is very difficult music - much too difficult for your small hands to play! Oh, that does not matter, Herr Zenser, answered the young Ludwig, I will play it when I am bigger. Surely he will be another Mozart some day, some said...Later he was to study with Mozart - go to Vienna - lead one of the finest orchestras in all the city - create great symphonies - until the name of Beethoven was spoken everywhere and eager visitors made their way to his door... This is his story...an inspiring story of his achievements against all odds...of his growing deafness...Long live Beethoven! shouted the audience ...But the master could not hear them, and as a singer turned him gently to face the audience, the noble head bowed low as he saw from the flutter of handkerchiefs, the applause that rained upon him.... Thus Opal Wheeler captures the superb quality of musical greatness of Beethoven and communicates it to boys and girls...a deeply stirring tribute to the greatest composer of all.

Frederic Chopin, celebrated pianist and probably the greatest composer for the piano the world has ever known, was born in a little cottage in Poland on the estate of Count Skarbek, whose children were tutored by his father, Nicolas Chopin. The child loved music from babyhood and when the family moved to Warsaw a few years after his birth, he was placed under the tutelage of the best masters of music in Poland. His astounding performance in playing the solo part of a difficult concerto with the full Warsaw orchestra when only nine years of age marked little Frederic as the genius he was. Through the early years to that momentous day in Vienna when his playing at the theater of Count Gallenberg actually launched his career as a major figure in the world of music, Frederic Chopin's childhood and boyhood are dramatically presented. Frederic Chopin, Son of Poland, Later Years completes the great man's life story.

This is the first complete life of Bach ever written for children. Every important incident is mentioned and every detail of the story is true. It is filled with vivid descriptions of Bach's childhood: how he sat up many nights and copied music by the light of the moon, and how he walked two hundred miles to a choir school at L neburg. Then his adult life: how he helped his wife Magdalena put the twenty children to bed every night; how he spread brown bread with honey for them to eat every afternoon; and how he taught them all to sing and play different musical instruments. The music reproduced here represents all of the different kinds of music that Bach ever wrote. A child can never really know music unless he knows Bach, for his contribution is the foundation and structural basis of all music. But it is more the human side of this book that will make it live, for in it the great master breathes. All who read it will know him...not only as a musical genius, but also as an eager child, an affectionate father, and a lovable human being.

Chopin remembered Vienna as the city where he had made an instant success with his music, so when, after years at home in Warsaw, he returned to Vienna he was heartsick to find only a cool welcome awaiting him. Vienna wanted to dance and sing and forget war...and Poland was on the brink of war. In Paris, however, Chopin found himself warmly welcomed; his concerts became the vogue; his days were crowded with both gayety and the work he loved. Years passed and the world hailed his greatest compositions. Then ill health began making inroads on his time, and he went to Majorca, England, Scotland, seeking relief. However, time was running out, and, at the peak of his career, the great composer and pianist died in Paris, the city he loved. Thus, simply, yet with drama is completed this excellent two-volume biography of one of the world's greatest artists.

Here, at last, is the new edition of Mozart, The Wonder Boy, that you have wanted for such a long time. The first book of Mozart, The Wonder Boy, had some delightful music, but you wanted still more, and here it is - thirty-five full pages of Mozart music that you will find at the end of the story. And now what a joyous time you will have as you give yourself a beautiful concert, playing the lovely waltzes, minuets, and sonatas, all of them written by Mozart, the Wonder Boy. Opal Wheeler & Sybil Deucher (from the original 1941 edition)

This title is part of the Great Musicians Series - The Great Musician Series represents a milestone in music history/appreciation education. This growing line of biographies focuses on the foundational musicians and composers that have had the greatest influence on musical composition and performance. These great masters have composed some of the most memorable and timeless musical pieces that we enjoy today.

Our Great Musician Series pulls back the curtain to reveal the lives and times behind these great classical compositions. Explore the persons, places, and events that influenced the masters and the beautiful music they created. This series engages students of all ages, using all learning modalities, thereby providing the richest and most memorable learning experience for your children. We include a variety of materials that will help you deliver this wonderful musical education quickly and easily.

With clarity and with admirable simplicity, keyed to the understanding of children, Opal Wheeler has traced the many-sided career of George Frederic Handel, whose restless nature vied always with his tremendous ability as a composer and director. Handel's strange boyhood, clouded by the fact that his father did not want him to become a musician, and the later years when, thanks to the patronage of the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels, his music was played before the greatest music lovers of Europe - all of this makes absorbing reading. The selections of Handel's music included here are those best understood and most apt to be mastered by young musicians. One evening, back in 1691, conservative Doctor Handel was shocked and dismayed to find his small son carrying the torch at the head of a band of singers wandering through the little town of Halle. The good doctor never quite unde rstood the all-consuming love of music which drove his son from childhood on and on to the great heights he eventually attained as the beloved Father of the Oratorio, the composer of the magnificent MESSIAH. Opal Wheeler has given us here the most finished, most completely satisfying book on her list of fine music biographies. Handel at the Court of Kings should be a favorite of all children who love music, whether they are young musicians themselves or not.

Economics is the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, or the material welfare of humankind. Although relatively few men and women make a living from studying, explaining, or teaching its principles, economics affects every human being on a daily basis. Why do some people struggle just to survive, while others live in luxury? Is a free-market economy really better than a command economy? What makes certain items more valuable than others? You'll discover the answers to these questions and more in Practical & Foundational Economics. Designed around the national economics standards, Zeezok Publishing's Practical & Foundational Economics provides a solid foundation for life and future economic studies. The carefully crafted text and hands-on approach to economic principles makes the subject matter interesting and applicable to the student. Every lesson provides real-life situations and opportunities for the student to use the knowledge they are acquiring in unique and memorable ways. Practical & Foundational Economics emphasizes critical-thinking skills and evaluation of historical and contemporary economic events. It strikes a balance between success in this life and the wisdom of investing in things of eternal value. With the United States teetering on the brink of economic disaster, it's time for a return to our capitalist roots and the biblical economic principles that made us a great nation. By doing so, we can continue to experience God's blessing on our republic. Zeezok Publishing's Practical & Foundational Economics is a great way to start the journey home

For the King! Such is the battle cry of the royal army as soldiers in the service of the King of kings and Lord of lords set out to wage war against the forces of evil. Lanus, a new recruit, finds he has much to learn - about obedience, about failure, about victory. And about the vital importance of putting on the full armor of the King. In this fascinating tale of spiritual warfare, the story of Lanus vividly illustrates the Christian's conflict with Satan. Come along as a new convert trains for conquest by skillfully wielding the ultimate weapon of righteousness, the Sword of the Word of God...

This is a simple, inspiring children's biography of the great musician Haydn. This story, like all the stories of the great composers by Wheeler and Deucher, will win its way into the hearts of all music-loving children; for it, too, is told with all the understanding, sympathy and appreciation that its two inspired authors have to give. Little Sepperl [as the child Franz Joseph Haydn was called] always sat on a wooden stool near his father and with two smooth pieces of wood held firmly in his hands, played his own make-believe violin. His parents watched the boy drawing one stick slowly across the other as he played so seriously, keeping perfect time. Then one day he went to live with his cousin in a town near Vienna, close by the river Danube. There he learned to read music and sing. Once when the drummer was too sick to march in a procession, little Franz Joseph was asked to take his place. So he practiced all day on the meal barrel with a cloth tied over the top...until he could play the part without a single mistake. Such was the musical beginning of the boy who later played before kings in palaces, and who has left us some of the most beautiful music ever written. For boys and girls, from 8 to 12 years of age, this book is particularly recommended. It has the great value of being instructive, cultural and inspiring, as well as recreational.

Little Peter was born in the small mining town of Votkinsk, Russia, not far from the border of Asia. His father was a mine inspector. Miss Wheeler has shown sympathetically yet quite frankly what a nervous, unpredictable child Peter was and how his love for music, even as a very little boy, was almost greater than he could bear.

Any sort of routine or application to work was impossible for him, and as a result, when a young man he could not bring himself to practice law. However, music still beckoned, and under the great Anton Rubinstein, he made certain progress. Here again, though, he broke all the established rules for composing and drove his master to despair. It was early one morning, seated at a table in the deserted dining room of an inn, that he wrote the first draft of his first symphony.

Here is a fascinating picture of Tchaikovsky the brilliant composer and delightful companion. It is perfect for young readers.

Opal Wheeler writes with happy and intimate warmth, portraying a great man as appealingly human, and presenting simple piano arrangements of six of his most familiar, best-loved compositions.

This title is part of the Great Musicians Series - The Great Musician Series represents a milestone in music history/appreciation education. This growing line of biographies focuses on the foundational musicians and composers that have had the greatest influence on musical composition and performance. These great masters have composed some of the most memorable and timeless musical pieces that we enjoy today.

Our Great Musician Series pulls back the curtain to reveal the lives and times behind these great classical compositions. Explore the persons, places, and events that influenced the masters and the beautiful music they created. This series engages students of all ages, using all learning modalities, thereby providing the richest and most memorable learning experience for your children. We include a variety of materials that will help you deliver this wonderful musical education quickly and easily.

When Akara rescues Wenk the Wanderer, he gives her a small silver trumpet as a thank-you gift. Unaccustomed to such kindness at the orphanage, Akara accepts the gift but wonders why it emits no sound when she blows through it. In spite of its silence, Akara repeatedly reaches for the trumpet when she's in trouble or in need of comfort. Will it help her escape the orphanage and the Tall Woman? Is this tiny instrument powerful enough to defeat the miller's desire to make her serve the Dark Power? Can it overcome the spiritual confusion of the Hill Soldiers? Will its silent tones reveal her family's heritage and, more importantly, lead her to the Truth? In this fast-paced sequel to The Shining Sword, author Charles G. Coleman reveals the correlation between prayer and successful spiritual warfare. Through their trumpets, the King's Soldiers offer praise and thanksgiving to their Leader, confess their sins, request healing for their injured comrades, ask for and receive deliverance from their enemies, and obtain spiritual guidance for their daily walk. As the battle for Akara's soul intensifies, will these prayers personified in the trumpet calls make the difference in her future? Join the memorable characters from The Shining Sword as they march forth from the King's Castle and enter the Valley with the Song of the Trumpet on their lips

This book is about the brilliant young Schubert, his merry friends, and their pranks and escapades, in most of which Franz is the hero. One of the most interesting stories in the book is the new light that is shed on the history of the Unfinished Symphony. It remained unfinished, not because of poverty, illness and discouragement, or because of the composer's early death. The real reason, according to the authors, was that Schubert's merry friends were starting for a picnic just when he was in the middle of it, and he went along. Before he left he stuffed the partly written score in his desk and it was never taken out again There are many selections from the composer's magnificent music in this volume. We have the March Militaire, the Moment Musicale, the theme of The Erlking, a dance from the opera, Rosamunde, Rondos, Dances, the lovely, lovely waltzes, impromptu pieces, the Cradle Song (a favorite of almost every child) and several of the beautiful songs.

At the age of four, Wilhelm Richard Wagner made his first impression on the theatrical world when he pounded on a bass drum and stopped the performance at the Dresden Playhouse-right in the midst of his stepfather's lines. This ill-fated incident put a temporary stop to Richard's nights backstage, and the punishment was almost more than exuberant little Dicker could bear. No more trunks to explore, no more wigs to try on, no more lights and music and dancing. He had so loved being a part of his adored stepfather's professional life. But there were golden and impressionable years ahead for young Richard. He came under the haunting spell of Weber's opera, Der Freischutz, and copied the entire score on his own music sheets to memorize. He avidly read Shakespeare's plays and vowed he would write even greater tragedies. He staged puppet shows, wrote poetry, and dreamed fantastic dreams. One of the most profound influences on Richard's youth was a Beethoven symphony, heard for the first time in Leipzig. The mighty music thundered in his mind as he walked from the concert hall, and it was characteristic of him that he determined, then and there, to become a great composer. Always headstrong and impatient with guidance from others, Richard struggled daily with the rules of harmony and counterpoint, while his instructors discouraged his dream. Throwing traditional methods aside, the future composer of Lohengrin and Tristan and Isolde went directly to the great masters' works and copied their music, note by note, until it became a part of him. More than anything else he wanted to write operas-his own stories set to music, sung and acted. As Opal Wheeler's light-hearted and lively biography reveals, Richard Wagner is an amazing example in music history-one of the few composers of stature who learned his art from the untutored study of the masterpieces of his day.

A great composer comes to life in this vivid, exciting story of Peter Tchaikovsky, a young man driven by his genius through the early years of his career and on to enviable success and world recognition.

Peter's unhappy apprenticeship in law ended when he absentmindedly nibbled on and ruined an important legal document. If his family considered his failure a disgrace, to Peter it was an omen. Now he was free to pursue and perhaps capture the music that sang in his head.

When he left St. Petersburg to teach in Moscow, he took the first decisive step on his colorful road to fame. But success did not come easily, and Peter learned to endure the hard pinch of poverty before the wealthy Madame von Meck became his patroness, providing him with a generous income.

Always enchanted with the world of childhood and far more at ease in it than in the more demanding world of adults, Peter began to write ballets for his sister Alexandra's children. The Sleeping Beauty was followed by Swan Lake, and finally he created The Nutcracker Ballet, which assured his place in the hearts of children and adults alike.

Opal Wheeler writes with happy and intimate warmth, portraying a great man as appealingly human, and presenting simple piano arrangements of six of his most familiar, best-loved compositions.

Opal Wheeler writes with happy and intimate warmth, portraying a great man as appealingly human, and presenting simple piano arrangements of six of his most familiar, best-loved compositions.

This title is part of the Great Musicians Series - The Great Musician Series represents a milestone in music history/appreciation education. This growing line of biographies focuses on the foundational musicians and composers that have had the greatest influence on musical composition and performance. These great masters have composed some of the most memorable and timeless musical pieces that we enjoy today.

Our Great Musician Series pulls back the curtain to reveal the lives and times behind these great classical compositions. Explore the persons, places, and events that influenced the masters and the beautiful music they created. This series engages students of all ages, using all learning modalities, thereby providing the richest and most memorable learning experience for your children. We include a variety of materials that will help you deliver this wonderful musical education quickly and easily.

Johannes Brahms, the frail little son of poor parents, spent the first years of his life in a wretched tenement in the old harbor city of Hamburg. It is here that the present story opens. His father, an irresponsible musician, kept the child up, playing the piano at low taverns, until all hours of the night for whatever small payment he could get. However, little Johannes's love for fine music and for composing finally led to lessons and then to a speedy success. Composing, teaching, playing on whatever piano was found available, these filled the boy's day. The present book closes when, at fifteen, he dedicates a beautiful piece to Lieschen, the lovely daughter of Adolf Giesemann in whose home he has spent the summer. Several of Brahms's best-known compositions are included.

From the time he was a little boy, playing with his beloved cat, Ziff, in his home village in Saxony, until he became the famous composer, friend of Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Liszt, Robert Schumann lived happily and pleasantly.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, he had few major problems to overcome. His work, his family life, all brought him the reward of renown and joy. Even the stiff finger which virtually ended his career as a musician was the means of emphasizing his genius as a composer.

Opal Wheeler has written a most engaging story for children of the great man's life, and the carefully chosen selections from his compositions which have been added, make this a distinguished acquisition to any young reader's library.

This title is part of the Great Musicians Series - The Great Musician Series represents a milestone in music history/appreciation education. This growing line of biographies focuses on the foundational musicians and composers that have had the greatest influence on musical composition and performance. These great masters have composed some of the most memorable and timeless musical pieces that we enjoy today.

Our Great Musician Series pulls back the curtain to reveal the lives and times behind these great classical compositions. Explore the persons, places, and events that influenced the masters and the beautiful music they created. This series engages students of all ages, using all learning modalities, thereby providing the richest and most memorable learning experience for your children. We include a variety of materials that will help you deliver this wonderful musical education quickly and easily.

Written with warmth and understanding, the present book on Paganini begins with his unhappy childhood along the wharves in Genoa and carries him straight through the tempestuous years when great genius and poverty waged an endless battle, which genius finally won. The boy gave his first concert at eleven, and his success was immediate and brilliant. The later years, however, were given over almost entirely to composing. His compositions were so exquisite and intricate that they became the despair of other musicians, as often only the master was able to play them. Added to a delightful story are some of Paganini's simpler compositions for the young music student to try. It is altogether a perfect biography for the younger group, full of action and exciting adventure, too.

In the difficult days of the Protestant Reformation, Don Fernando de la Mina, a noble landowner in Simancas, Valladolid, is arrested by the Holy Office of the Inquisition and sentenced to be burned at the stake for his heresy. Due to his reformed convictions, which were not allowed in those days of intolerant religious fanaticism, he finds himself in a series of providential circumstances. These free him from the flames, but not from an odyssey of epic proportions, until his subsequent arrival to the Protestant kingdom of Lower Navarre in France. My Escape not only relates the sinister treatment of all suspects of Lutheran heresy in Spain - culpable or not - but also captivates the reader by its intriguing history of suspense, hope, and love. The account is told with fascinating fervor and intensity, which should without a doubt, cause everyone to remember the old adage: Those who refuse to learn from the failures of history are destined to repeat them. This new edition offered to the public, commemorates the 450th anniversary (in 2009) of the two Autos de Fé of the Spanish Inquisition held in Valladolid, on May 21st and October 8th, 1559.