Principles of Instrumental Analysis

Book Description

PRINCIPLES OF INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS places an emphasis on the theoretical basis of each type of instrument, its optimal area of application, its sensitivity, its precision, and its limitations.You'll also learn about elementary analog and digital electronics, computers, and treatment of analytical datA. Visit the book companion website for tutorials on instrumental methods, Excel files of data analysis and simulations of analytical techniques to help you visualize important concepts in this course, and selected papers from the chemical literature to stimulate interest and provide background information for study.

Customer Reviews:

Not so good.......2007-09-18

I have to use this textbook for one of my classes, and I must say, it is horrible. The examples for problems in the book hardly give any explanation of what they are doing. The questions at the end of the chapter are very difficult and looking back at the chapter just makes the question even more confusing. I like to use textbooks when I do not understand what is going on in my class, but this one does not help at all! I think the only way you can understand this book is if you are already well educated in the course. Everytime I am assigned problems in the book, I cringe, because I know I am going to be spending hours being more confused than I have ever been in my life.

Instrumental text book review.......2007-07-20

This book covers the basics of instrumental analysis well. This is not a book for someone who needs colored illustrations and flashy pictures. The key words do not jump out of the page like many of the new undergraduate text books. The text is to the point. As with any textbook, there are some minor errors, but this book is better than some others I've encountered.

alternatives to this book.......2007-03-09

I'm not sure why there are so many negative reviews of this book. I found it to be very solid.

For those of you who don't like it you have 3 options:

either "Instrumental Methods of Analysis" by Willard, Merritt, Dean, Settle; (ISBN 0534081428) which is excellent and a true classic.

or "Chemical Analysis: Modern Instrumentation Methods and Techniques" by Francis Rouessac & Annick Rouessac

or "Chemical Instrumentation: A Systematic Approach" by Strobel and Heineman. This book, however, is very hardware oriented and not a general instrumental analysis text.

I would also recommend that you buy "Statistics and Chemometrics for Analytical Chemistry" by James N. Miller & Jane C. Miller. It does a much better job than the cursory chapters found in regular analytical texts. Get the 4th or 5th edition. For a paperback, this book is ridiculously expensive if you buy new. Try to find a used copy.

While the book by Miller & Miller is good, it's no substitute for a 1 or 2 semester course in stats. A good book for this material might be Statistics for Research, Third Edition by Shirley Dowdy, Stanley Wearden, Daniel Chilko (ISBN 047126735X)

Check out my other reviews for other undergrad. chem books.

So disorganized a book that it hurts.......2005-12-24

There is no clear organization in this book. Seems like they took many papers and at random picked paragraphs out of them. The only place they show organization is when they are introducing stuff in a chapter.
Works as a reference book because you can look in the back and find the 6 or seven places your topic of interest is scattered in the book. but in general the gain of knowledge through the organization of this book is near to impossible.
The authors of this book should be ashamed of themselves for doing such harm to Chemistry students.

Style of writing is painful.......2005-09-02

Just start reading the introduction, or flip to anywhere in this book to see all you need to know about it's readability: a bit rough to say the least.

For example, in the introduction, the concept of carrying binary data in a shorter period of time on a wire than several measured pulses was presented in such a confusing manner that I was forced to read it 4 times to understand what was already a simple and understood concept to me. The excessive formality of this book is a killer.. It reads at times like a formal mathematics proof book, however, at other times it is a bit more readable.

Like people said.. use this for reference.. not for a textbook.

Instrumental Data for Drug Analysis, Third Edition - 6 Volume Set

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Instrumental Data for Drug Analysis, Third Edition - 6 Volume Set
III, Terry Mills , James Conrad Roberson , Christian C. Matchett , Mathew J. Simon , Mark D. Burns , and Jr., Robert J. Ollis
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0849319749

Book Description

Finding current, detailed information on the analysis of drug-related compounds is challenging at best. While almost everyone engaged in the study of these compounds has accumulated a vast variety of data over time, a single-source, comprehensive review of that data would be an invaluable resource to have. Instrumental Data for Drug Analysis (IDDA), Third Edition is that resource, presenting the latest information on these compounds in a thorough, straightforward format. What's new in the Third Edition: · Presents FT-Raman Spectra tables · Includes information and analysis relating to 125 new drugs, including Zoloft, Claritin, Ambien, and the latest generation of narcotics · Organizes information on each drug in a simple, streamlined format

Elements of Sonata Theory: Norms, Types, and Deformations in the Late-Eighteenth-Century Sonata

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The Last Word on "Sonata-Form"

Elements of Sonata Theory: Norms, Types, and Deformations in the Late-Eighteenth-Century Sonata
James Hepokoski , and Warren Darcy
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195146409

Book Description

For over 150 years the concept of "sonata form" lay at the heart of European instrumental music. Now, in Elements of Sonata Theory, musicologist James Hepokoski and music theorist Warren Darcy rethink its basic principles. Considering not only sonatas but also chamber music, symphonies, overtures, and concertos, their study outlines a new, updated paradigm for understanding the compositional choices present in the instrumental works of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and their contemporaries. It also lays down an indispensable foundation for those working with later adaptations and deformations of these musical structures in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Combining insightful research and analysis, contemporary genre theory, and provocative hermeneutic turns, these original perspectives provide a creative approach to the exploration of meaning within a familiar repertory. The authors map out the background terrain of historical norms at work in this music and provide a flexible mode of analysis for perceiving and assessing what happens--or what does not happen--in any given piece. They guide readers through the formatting possibilities within each compositional space in sonata form, while also introducing new ideas for understanding the ordering of musical modules over an entire movement and, more broadly, over an entire multimovement composition. The product of over a dozen years of research, Elements of Sonata Theory is the most thorough study of the sonata ever undertaken. It serves as a challenge both to students and to experienced musicologists and music theorists to rethink how sonata form is best understood.

Customer Reviews:

The Last Word on "Sonata-Form".......2007-06-27

As a pianist and music-lover, I have long been fascinated by the movement structure called "sonata-form." "Sonata-form" is the structure of the first movements (and many other movements) of almost every major piece of classical music from the Classical Era. Now a clear and comprehensive analysis of "sonata-form" has arrived, in the book "Elements of Sonata Theory."

The most surprising feature to me is that this book is quite readable. Readability is not something that can be taken for granted in the turgid literature of music theory. Therefore, the book is of value to a layperson like myself and not only to specialists. (The final four chapters, on the concerto version of sonata-form, are more difficult to read, but that is quite minor.) Another surprise to me was that a lot of information in the book was new to me. I have read widely in this field, but I still learned a lot.

Like any first edition, a few questionable statements have slipped in. For example, on p.20 the book implies that after about 1760 it became normal to repeat only the first part (the exposition), and not repeat the second part. Apparently, Mozart was not informed of this normal practice. Mozart called for the repeat of the second part in almost every sonata-form movement in his piano sonatas (28 of 31 sonata-form movements). But this is mere quibbling.

If someone is seriously interested in the subject of "sonata-form," this is the book to get.

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Near perfect.
Subjective - conservative playlist - good for what it does cover - a tough review - started falling like a rock
Indispensable
Beginner's perspective
great, but with 20 pages more it would have been perfect

The Symphony: A Listener's Guide
Michael Steinberg
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195126653

Amazon.com

Anyone compiling a guide to the symphony faces two problems: impartiality versus personal enthusiasm and detailed musical analysis versus help for the newcomer. Michael Steinberg succeeds brilliantly at the task, as he has with his guide to the concerto. He has pared this vast repertory down to 118 entries (Franck and Bizet being the surprising omissions), thus keeping room for music by Schmidt, Hartmann, Harbison, Piston, and Tippett. Many of the chapters have helpful general introductions; the brief one on Mendelssohn and the longer one on Schubert are ideal. The Mahler chapter is superb, with consideration of the original version of the First Symphony and the unfinished Tenth Symphony framing a chronological discussion of the works. Steinberg includes all texts and translations of vocal movements and places even isolated works (such as Górecki's wholly atypical Third Symphony) in context. Absent is the clubby tone that infects classical music programming on public radio, and readers will not need to follow scores to understand Steinberg's points. There are some great but peripheral tidbits in the footnotes, as well as frequently trenchant quotations from various composers' letters. Best of all, Steinberg has clear concerns and enthusiasms: orchestral seating plans for the violins and the reasons that repeats in first movements are so often disregarded become refrains. The descriptions of William Schuman's Sixth Symphony and Bohuslav Martinu's Fantaisies Symphoniques may send readers rushing to listen, and the overly familiar Beethoven Eroica and Schubert "Unfinished" are once again fantastical, odd, and fresh in these pages. In Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony, we read, "the oboe is the sweetest and most seductive of tour guides." Steinberg might well have been describing himself. --William R. Braun

Book Description

Enriched by biographical detail, historical background, musical examples, and many finely nuanced observations, this volume is a treasury of insight and information. Readers will find illuminating discussion of the complete symphonies of Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Sibelius, and Mahler, as well as of the most loved symphonic works of Schubert, Bruckner, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and others. We learn how to listen more sharply for Haydn's humor, to Mozart's singular combination of pathos with grace, and to the evolution of Beethoven's musical ideas in his nine symphonies. This remarkable range and variety of composers are illuminated by Steinberg's deft, inviting, and intensely personal essays, which give such a vivid portrait of each composer's personality that the reader gets an immediate sense of how the work is a direct expression of the person from whose soul and brain it has sprung. Tracing the ways in which composers have dealt with the musical challenges that have engaged them throughout the centuries, Steinberg takes us through the revolutions of expression, sound, and form that have shaped the symphony's remarkable history. Whether beginners or veterans, music lovers will listen to the symphony with enlivened interest and deeper understanding with Steinberg's masterful guide in hand.

Customer Reviews:

Near perfect........2007-03-02

Since the glories of this book have already been trumpeted enough, I'll just suggest some great works that I think merit inclusion when Mr.Steinberg gets around to revising.

As has been pointed out: Copland's Third, Saint-Saens' Third, Franck D minor...

but also Chausson's B minor, and even D'Indy's "French Mountain Air" symphony.
Symphonies by Bax, Arnold, Rubbra, Simpson, and Bliss.

Not to mention Liszt's "Faust Symphony"!

And for a good read-about at the very least: Havergal Brian's "Gothic", which is a great work.

Subjective - conservative playlist - good for what it does cover - a tough review - started falling like a rock.......2006-01-22

I got this book nearly a decade ago, and valued it a lot at the time. I hadn't seriously used it in quite some time, then, while reviewing some books I had just read, decided to post one about it.

When I got online, I first noticed the comments in the line of "It's too bad that 'Composer X' gets omitted."

But, this is a book about music, I was thinking, and "de gustibus non disputandum" will always be the rule in the arts.

Then, I started looking through my current collection of nearly 500 classical CDs and said, "Whooah, there."

First, Steinberg appears to operate with a narrow definition of what is a symphony, perhaps. Why else is Rachmaninov's "Symphonic Dances" omitted, for example? Or Hindemith's "Four Temperaments" or "Symphonic Variations"?

On symphonies themselves, where is Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms"? Or anything by Schnittke, the best symphonist of the last third of the 20th century? Or Malcolm Arnold? Or Nicolai Myaskovsky, a great contemporary of Prokofiev? Or Ernst Krenek? Or Szymanowski? Or Hovhaness, as "pop" as he may be to some?

And why so much Haydn?

In other words -- and this is why Steinberg's book started falling like a rock for me -- his "playlist" is quite conservative. I don't think either Boston or San Francisco (he served as orchestra program annotator in both places) are that conservative musically, so why is he?

I mean, someone could do a separate volume just out of all the 20th century composers he omitted.

As my title notes, this is an in-depth book for what it covers, but it fails in what could have been a great didactive exercise. I moved my classical music boundaries beyond 1900 through dint of my own open-mindedness, but sure would have loved the help of a book like Steinberg's that analyzed more 20th century symphonic works.

If your "playlist" is stuck where many heartland American classical listeners' may be, then this book could be just for you. But, if you want to learn a lot about modern symphonies, skip it.

Indispensable.......2001-09-17

A wonderful book. Michael Steinberg is probably the premier writer of program notes for symphony orchestra concerts in the English-speaking world, and his two books, The Symphony: A Listener's Guide (Oxford University Press, 1995, 678 pages), and its companion volume The Concerto: A Listener's Guide (Oxford UP, 1998, 506 pages), are probably the two best collections of program notes on the symphony and the concerto that have ever been published in English. Steinberg formerly wrote the program notes for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and currently writes them for the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. He was music critic of the Boston Globe for twelve years. These two books come with glowing recommendations from such distinguished musical figures as Seiji Ozawa, Michael Tilson Thomas, Andre Previn, Herbert Blomstedt, Roger Norrington, and John Adams. Speaking as one who has attended countless symphony orchestra concerts on the East Coast, West Coast, and in Dallas for more than forty years, and has always read the program notes, I can say that I've never read any as good as these. They are readable, learned, witty, accessible, and delightful, full of important biographical and historical information, and of course musical description, evaluation, and analysis that is genuinely illuminating and enlightening, without being so technical you need to be a musicologist or seated at a piano to understand it. (Inevitably, there are some musical examples, but these are relatively few, usually fairly simple, and you don't have to understand them to grasp the meaning of the text.) I would recommend these two books strongly to any lover of classical music, anyone who attends symphony orchestra concerts.

Having said this, I can't help noting a few unfortunate omissions. The Symphony is a thick book and perhaps one is ungenerous to cavil at such a generous and generally inclusive and comprehensive volume. All the Beethoven symphonies are included, of course, as are all the symphonies of Brahms and Schumann, and all the major symphonies of Haydn (only two symphonies before No. 86), Mozart (no Mozart symphonies earlier than No. 35, "Haffner"), Tchaikovsky (three symphonies), Dvorak (four symphonies), and Bruckner (six symphonies). The two greatest twentieth-century symphonists, Mahler and Sibelius, are covered in full, including all of their published symphonies and the unfinished Mahler Tenth (but not the early Sibelius "Kullervo" symphony). The third great twentieth-century symphonist, Shostakovich, is represented by seven of his fifteen symphonies. Both Elgar symphonies are included. The most striking lapses are in the French repertoire: the Franck D minor symphony and the Saint-Saens Third ("Organ") are unaccountably omitted, and these are serious omissions. The Schubert Fifth is omitted. Copland is represented by his Second ("Short Symphony"), not his much better known and more frequently performed Third. The same can be said of Hanson, who is represented by his Fourth ("Requiem"), not his Second ("Romantic"). Among the moderns, there are some strangely arbitrary (and, one suspects, personal) choices and omissions: for example, Roy Harris' Third is omitted, although symphonies by Harbison and Hartmann are included; the Harris is surely better established in the standard repertoire than either of these composers. For Vaughan Williams, two of his most popular and accessible symphonies, the First ("Sea") and Second ("London"), are omitted in favor three later symphonies (only 4, 5, and 6 are covered).

Despite these omissions, I recommend this book and its companion volume warmly and wouldn't be without them. Now I wish Mr. Steinberg and Oxford University Press would give us a third volume, covering the large body of orchestral music that is neither symphony nor concerto (such as tone poems and symphonic suites and dances, ballets and ballet suites, incidental music to plays and pageants, major overtures and preludes, et al.).

Beginner's perspective.......2001-07-26

The other reviewers here have given you the perspective of die-hard classical music fans. I am not really expert enough to comment on ommisions and such. But I would like to present another possible reason to purchase this book. Classical music can seem kind of inscrutable to the outsider, but this book sort of walks the reader (and listener) through each piece. I've used it to pick what piece to track down next. This book will enrich the listening experience and the listening skills of the musically minded amateur i think. It did for me.

great, but with 20 pages more it would have been perfect.......1999-09-20

I greatly enjoyed this book: Steinberg's style is lively and full of wit, but authoritative nonetheless, which is rare. As a reference book, this is an invaluable "tool" for the music lover and the scholar alike. As a fan of British and American music I found the Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Schuman chapters really praiseworthy. So, why not 5 stars? I think that, if you write such a kind of book (a "guide"), you should try to find a balance between the objective and the subjective, Steinberg tends decidedly to the subjective, which is good when he gives us so many insights about composers or conductors he met, much less so when this affects the selection criteria. For example, talking about American music, he spends pages talking about the Steinberg-dedicated Harbison Second (I bought the CD after I read the book and I found it very empty and rambling) and just a few (denigratory) lines about the Copland Third, which is a a classic , like it or not. And what about the almost total omission of the French symphonies? You won't find Franck and Bizet, as Amazon points, but also Saint-Saens is missing , and I don't think a book about symphonies can be without his Third. All in all, an indispensable issue, but with some flaws.

Instrumental Element and Multi-Element Analysis of Plant Samples: Methods and Applications

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Instrumental Element and Multi-Element Analysis of Plant Samples: Methods and Applications
Bernd Markert
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471958654

Book Description

Because of their photosynthetic activity, plants represent the most important form of life on earth, and thus provide a rich and important source for investigation. By studying the levels of elements such as lead, cadmium and mercury in plants, vital information on background concentrations of such elements in the environments can be obtained. The growth in the use of instrumental multi-element techniques, such as neutron activation, X-ray fluorescence and atomic emission spectroscopy in the analysis of plant samples has led to significant advances in our ability to determine accurately the quantities of such elements present in plant samples. Instrumental Element and Multi-Element Analysis of Plant Samples: Methods and Applications presents the latest key advances that have taken place in a wide range of instrumentation, such as improvements in detection limits, reproducibility and accuracy. Potential problem areas such as representative sampling, sampling processes and accuracy are discussed in detail. Although concentrating on the analysis of plant samples, the book also considers general issues associated with multi-element analysis of environmental analysis in general. Instrumental Element and Multi-Element Analysis of Plant Samples: Methods and Applications will be of great interest to all those working in environmental analysis, particularly in the area of plant sample analysis. Its highly practical and inter-disciplinary approach will make it indispensable to chemists, biochemists, biologists and geologists interested in these areas.

The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD)

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An intro to Mahler
An Excellent Listener's Guide
This is simply a great book for all Mahler fans out here...
introduction to Mahler's major symphonic works

The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD)
David Hurwitz
Manufacturer: Amadeus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1574670999

Amazon.com

Anyone fascinated but daunted by Mahler's monumental, complex orchestral works will find this book a welcome guide. Focusing on the nine completed symphonies and The Song of the Earth, David Hurwitz addresses his readers directly in an informal, conversational tone. Aided by a CD of four selected movements, he tells them what to listen for, what to pay special attention to, and, pointing out some recurring characteristics, what to remember for future reference. He explains Mahler's concept of form and structure, from the smallest motives to the over-life-size finished edifice. He discusses Mahler's manifold use of his songs, his love for quoting from himself and for recalling and anticipating thematic material--always in a new guise--and his penchant for aborted climaxes and deceptive endings: part of his reluctance (or inability) to conclude a composition. Despite his originality, Mahler stood on the shoulders of other giants, notably Wagner and Verdi, whose works he conducted at the Vienna Opera. Hurwitz devotes much attention--and an entire appendix--to Mahler's unsurpassed mastery of orchestration, his skill in exploiting every instrument's resources, even using them for thematic purposes.

Hurwitz admits that describing music in words has limitations; he falls back instead on describing Mahler's complex mixture of elements from the most sublime to the raw (for example, we find the music characterized as pretty," "cute," "sleazy," "sexy," "vulgar," "flatulent," or "squealing" like a barmaid "after being pinched on the behind" and the like). On the other hand, he rejects the conventional assumption that there is a link between a composer's work and life experiences, isolating the music from the personality. This might be considered a drawback insofar as it neglects a crucial dimension (consider, for example, our knowledge that Mahler tried to outwit fate by interpolating The Song of the Earth between his Eighth and Ninth Symphonies and how this might enhance our understanding of those two dark, valedictory final works). Yet even such cavils cannot diminish the originality and thoughtfulness behind this illuminating book. --Edith Eisler

Book Description

Since Gustav Mahler was rediscovered in the early 1960s, his symphonies have become arguably the most popular works in the modern orchestral repertoire. Mahler's Symphonies: An Owner's Manual is the first discussion of the ten completed symphonies (No. 1-9 plus "The Song of the Earth") to offer music lovers and record collectors a comprehensive overview of the music itself, what it sounds like, how it is organized, its form, content, and meaning, as it strikes today's listeners. The book caters to the novice as David Hurwitz describes what the listener will hear, section by section, using simple cues such as important instrumental solos, recognizable tunes, climaxes, and other easily audible musical facts. He explains how each work is arranged, how the various parts relate to each other, and how one work leads to the next. It describes the emotional extravagance that lies at the root of Mahler's popularity, the consistency of his symphonic thinking, the relationship of each work to its companions, and his dazzling and revolutionary use of orchestral instruments to create an expressive musical language that is varied in content and immediate in impact. The accompanying CD contains recordings from Symphony No. 1, Third Movement; Symphony No. 2, First Movement; Symphony No. 5, Third Movement; and Symphony No. 7, Second Movement: "Nachtmusik I."

Customer Reviews:

An intro to Mahler.......2007-09-13

Good book, only gripe is that the author goes into too much detail describing the music itself (for example telling what instruments are doing what) I think what I am looking for is more of an analysis of the symphonies. Hope this helps

An Excellent Listener's Guide.......2006-10-23

David Hurwitz has written a marvelous guide for the classical music listener who wants to get more out of Mahler's symphonies but: a) lacks the ability to follow the music him/herself, or make sense of it; and b) finds that CD and program notes do not provide sufficiently detailed description, or are too technical to be understandable. The author provides lengthy but non-technical descriptions of the music as it progresses, keeping the listener on track and ready for what comes next. Major melodies or tunes are identified by ad hoc names (the "kletzmer," the "Alma," etc.). Major rhythms are identified for the reader-listener in the most basic terms (i.e. "dum dum dadum dum"), but it works! Hurwitz eschews biographical background in favor of discussion of the form and content of the music itself. Even if the author fails to convert you to a Mahlerian (and he certainly seems to be one himself), his book will deepen your appreciation for this formerly "much abused" composer.

My complaints are few. In his enthusiasm the author has a tendency to confuse the words "literal" and "figurative" such that, at one point in the book he describes the orchestra as "literally falling over a cliff" or words to that effect; which, for the sake of the musicians' health and casualty insurance premiums I hope did not happen. I wish that discussions of form and interpretations of meaning had been reserved for the front of each chapter, directly following the introduction, so the chronological description of the music had not been interrupted. Strangely, the author, who is not bashful about expressing his opinions, seems surprisingly hesitant to divulge his extra-musical interpretations of the music. Finally, Hurwitz is a most uncritical critic, defending Mahler from every criticism, even those that, to my ears, are justifiable.

In addition to the book the purchaser receives a CD with one-movement excerpts from four Mahler symphonies (#'s 1, 2, 5 and 7). The guides to these four movements contain exact time references to these CD performances for greater ease in following along.

Buyer beware: you'll find you'll want to acquire CD's of Mahler symphonies you don't presently own (I bought #'s 6 and 7), or purchase other versions if yours don't reveal all the twitters, birdcalls, or cowbells itemized in the book.

Highly recommended.

This is simply a great book for all Mahler fans out here..........2006-05-26

... and hopefully Mr. Hurwitz's words strenghen the fact that Mahler is one of the greatest composers of all time (and he is my top favorite composer) - not just through vastness and complexity, but also through "representing the world", being universal, escorting humanity through music like Beethoven.

Just reading certain passages which seems to coincide what I exactly thing about Mahler's remarkable musical messages (especially in the triumphant Symphony No. 2 and the apocalyptic Symphony No. 9) put me to tears.

Whether you're obsessed with Mahler, or want to understand his musical words, buy it!!!

introduction to Mahler's major symphonic works.......2005-03-01

Hurwitz breaks down Mahler's nine symphonies plus his song cycle "The Song of the Earth" into their parts as these contribute to the whole; and the parts too are broken down for their development, tone, and instruments. Analyses and commentary mingle with frequent metaphoric, near-poetic, evocations of musical passages. In the Fifth Movement of Symphony No. 5, "Horn and woodwinds unfold a series of perky little tunes...." In the Second Movement, "As this climax dies away trailing clouds of strings and horns, the woodwinds slither back in with sinister whirring scales." Hurwitz also gives attention to the spiritual ideas and the emotions embodied in Mahler's music. The author of "Beethoven or Bust: A Practical Guide to Learning About and Listening to Great Music," Hurwitz writes about music in a style that is suitable for readers of all ages from young adults and up.

Environmental Laboratory Exercises for Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry

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Environmental Laboratory Exercises for Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry
Frank M. Dunnivant
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471488569

Book Description

A comprehensive set of real-world environmental laboratory experiments

This complete summary of laboratory work presents a richly detailed set of classroom-tested experiments along with background information, safety and hazard notes, a list of chemicals and solutions needed, data collection sheets, and blank pages for compiling results and findings. This useful resource also:

Focuses on environmental, i.e., "dirty" samples
Stresses critical concepts like analysis techniques and documentation
Includes water, air, and sediment experiments
Includes an interactive software package for pollutant fate and transport modeling exercises
Functions as a student portfolio of documentation abilities
Offers instructors actual samples of student work for troubleshooting, notes on each procedure, and procedures for solutions preparation.

Download Description

In the early days of environmental monitoring, chemists trained in the isolated walls of a laboratory before moving to the 'real world" of sediment, soil, and industrial waste samples. Today chemists are a little better prepared, but many still lack experience in developing procedures for problematic samples. This manual answers this need for applied training aimed at teaching upper level undergraduate and graduate chemistry students to analyze 'dirty" samples.

Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works - Unlocking the Masters Series, No. 3 (Unlocking the Masters)

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Brilliant and deceptively simple - hold that - elegant
Insight from a Pro
Great for classical fans and a great intro for others.
A really excellent guide to Mozart

Getting the Most out of Mozart: The Instrumental Works - Unlocking the Masters Series, No. 3 (Unlocking the Masters)
David Hurwitz
Manufacturer: Amadeus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1574670964

Book Description

In this book, Hurwitz takes the reader/listener through Mozart's chamber and orchestral music. This music doesn't sound like anyone else's - only Mozart could have written it. What makes it so special and how to enjoy it are explored. The CD contains excerpts from BMG Classics Recordings.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant and deceptively simple - hold that - elegant.......2006-03-08

David Hurwitz is fantatically insightful. Himself a composer, he gets to the heart of Mozart. His discussion is the sort that enlightens newbies, and stimulates the professional by going back to basics.
I enjoyed every page of both the Mozart books, and the musical cds were full of well chosen examples.
Roberta Prada, contralto, author of "The Ear and the Voice" in English, with Francis Keeping andPierre Sollier, and translator of J Faure: "The Voice and Singing" with Francis Keeping. Principal of Vocalimages.com, and voxmentor.com

Insight from a Pro.......2005-08-17

This is the second volume of a two volume series explaining the genius in Motzart's work. This folume concentrates on the Instrumental Works. To listen to great music and to enjoy it is one thing. Yet the professional student of classical music sees/hears/understands so much more than the rest of us.

In this book David Hurwitz, the founder and executive editor of daily classical music magazine, takes readers through Mozart's seven major operas, one part at a time explaining what he sees in each area. This provides an insite that most of us, particularily those of us living in remote areas, can never see.

I never imagines that you could see so much in this music.

The book comes with a full length CD that includes eleven of Mozarts pieces.

Great for classical fans and a great intro for others........2005-03-18

As another reviewer has already pointed it, this collection would make an EXCELLENT intro to the wonders of classical music, as well as a must-have for Mozart fans. Even if you already have these pieces, having it on one collection makes the drive to work a pleasure rather than a chore. Highly recommend.

A really excellent guide to Mozart.......2005-02-25

Unlocking the vast rewards of classical music takes more than just casual listening - it requires learning some of the basic aspects of music (rhythm, structure, harmony, etc) and a little of the historical context of the composers and his/her predecessors. Mozart is an excellent place to start into classical music for many reasons - one being his highly-melodic music is considered easily "accessible" to the average listener who can appreciate and enjoy it without any musical know-how.

In this fresh and much-needed new series, vetern music-writer David Hurwitz gives us an enticing roadmap to understanding the music of Mozart in a way that most anyone can deepen their music appreciation and enhance their listening experience. The text is friendly, well writen, without complex jargon and analyzes Mozart's music in simple but enough detail to reveal just exactly "what makes Mozart's music sound like Mozart."

Mr. Hurwitz takes the classical enthusiast through the some fifty major works of Mozart's instrumental music, focusing each chapter on one category (chamber music, symphony, concerto, church music). The vocal works (opera, concert arias, masses) are in a separate volume with the green cover. Within each major work, Hurwitz describes the most common musical "structures" Mozart used - such as the all-important sonata form, theme-and-variations, rondos, and the minuet. His "analysis" of Mozart's well-loved piano concertos is quite interesting and helpful, breaking them down into 10 'groups' to help get your hands around the differences in composition and effect of each. The accompanying CD of several movements helps bring to life Hurwitz's commentary of several featured works that are discussed in more depth.

I also appreciated his defense of "delightful music" such as Mozart's from the critical voices that sometimes devalues such music as merely "cute" - while giving elevated status to the later, more troubling-sounding music of the Romantic or Modern eras ... or as he jokingly terms it: "the suffering, Romantic, artist-hero expressing personal misery in their creations." Great music is not only about dramatic tension, disturbing dissonances and individual emotional expression but also about pleasant, happy tones that anyone can enjoy.

Hurwitz' book is one of the "fun to read" intros to Mozart and classical music appreciation and is highly recommended. It should appeal to both the newcomer as well as those with more experience in classical music as it also has great depth and detail. If your interest is to follow in more detail the actual musical scores for several popular works, a similar but slightly more musically-involved book is by Robert Harris' ("What To Listen For In Mozart"). Harris' books are also easy and interesting to read for the non-music major types.

Tchaikovsky: A Listener's Guide Book/2 CD Pack Unlocking the Masters Series (Unlocking the Masters)

Average customer rating:

Perfect for high school-level music libraries or any general lending collection handling cds and text alike.
What an Expert Sees/Hears

Tchaikovsky: A Listener's Guide Book/2 CD Pack Unlocking the Masters Series (Unlocking the Masters)
Daniel Felsenfeld
Manufacturer: Amadeus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1574671340

Book Description

Composer and author Daniel Felsenfeld takes the reader on a tour of some of the "Little Russian's" most beloved works, including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture, Romeo and Juliet, Symphonies Nos. 4 and 6, the Serenade for Strings, and his Violin Concerto. The book is a series of blow-by-blow listening sections matched to the music on two accompanying CDs, guiding the reader through these magical compositions, illuminating their edges and fine points.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for high school-level music libraries or any general lending collection handling cds and text alike........2007-04-07

Tchaikovsky was a composer of lovely melodies rooted in his personal angst: TCHAIKOVSKY: A LISTENER'S GUIDE blends prose to music by offering two accompanying cds from classical music cd publisher Naxos to accompany author Daniel Felsenfeld's exploration of his most notable works. The pairing of text from a music writer and composer with the master pieces of an artist makes for a particularly involving production perfect for newcomers to Tchaikovsky's works. Perfect for high school-level music libraries or any general lending collection handling cds and text alike.

What an Expert Sees/Hears.......2007-03-28

To listen to great music and to enjoy it is one thing. Yet the professional student of classical music sees/hears/understands so much more than the rest of us.

In this book Daniel Felsenfeld, a prolific composer and music writer has written what he sais agimes to give 'the interested but potentially uninitiated listener' the tools he or she needs to lsiten to Tchaikovsky's music and to become more comfortable with classical music overall. This provides an insite that most of us, particularily those of us living in remote areas, can never see.

I never imagined that you could see so much in this music.

The book comes with two full length CDs.

The Great Instrumental Works: Unlocking the Masters series, no. 7. (Contains two complete Naxos CDs)

Average customer rating:

bravissimo!

The Great Instrumental Works: Unlocking the Masters series, no. 7. (Contains two complete Naxos CDs)
M. Owen Lee
Manufacturer: Amadeus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1574671170

Book Description

From Mozart to Debussy to Olivier Messiaen, the works of 50 composers are closely examined in The Great Instrumental Works. It is a book for anyone who enjoys the lively arts of opera, drama, film, literature, and popular song and who wants to find out what is really going on in the symphonies of Mozart, the string quartets of Beethoven, the orchestral works of Debussy and Ravel, and the contemporary pieces of Olivier Messiaen and Arvo Part. The author, Father Owen Lee, is an internationally known commentator on music and the arts, and writes with a style that has been called "rich, dense, and profound" (Citizen's Weekly), "highly readable" (Choice), and "often irreverently amusing" (Opera News). With Father Lee as a guide, the intricacies of classical forms and key relationships are rendered not only intelligible but meaningful, the music itself becomes life-enhancing, and its great composers come vividly to life.

Customer Reviews:

bravissimo!.......2006-02-25

Father Owen Lee, famous to so many grateful listeners over the decades of Metropolitan Opera broadcasts for his pitch-perfect reflections on opera composers and their works, now does the same for orchestral music. In this handy, invitating volume, complete with illustrative CDs, he offers us a lifetime of rewarding listening. It might well have been titled "An Opera Lover's Guide to Orchestral Music"---Bravissimo!

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