If you ever wished to know more about classical music, but could never figure out where to start, Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch’s Declassified: A Low-Key Guide to the High-Strung World of Classical Music is the book for you. Warsaw-Fan Rauch presents an introduction to classical music in the form of a memoir. Her experience as a classically trained violinist provides a wealth of knowledge. However, it is her love-hate relationship with classical music, and performing classical music, that sets her book apart.
Warsaw-Fan Rauch’s time as a performing violinist well-equips her to author an apology for classical music. Her immersion into classical music was not merely as the daughter of a music professor. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School. Afterward, she went on to perform at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Boston’s Symphony Hall, performing with musicians such as Sir James Galway and Chris Botti. To say she lived classical music is an understatement.
Warsaw-Fan Rauch weaves her knowledge and experience with classical music over twelve chapters. She covers topics such as the various styles of classical music, composition of pieces, and knowing when to clap at live performances. She also provides an insider perspective on the world of competitive classical music and the drama surrounding conductors. My…