This picture book introduces to us the main periods and events in Viennese music composer and musician Franz Shubert’s life: The time he spent as a choirboy and Antonio Salieri’s pupil, his hated activity working as an assistant teacher with his father, his happy parties, the Schubertiads, the trips he made to the countryside with his friends, and many other things.

Ernst A. Ekker’s text is so clearly written that the readers feel as if they were “introduced into” Franz Schubert’s personality, far beyond a simple biography. At the same time, an exciting scene is presented to us: the Napoleonic, occupied, Vienna, the one of the Vienna Convention and Metternich’s police state.

Doris Eisenburger’s brillian illustrations show not only Franz Schubert’s real world, but also his dreams and fantasies.

This book is accompanied by a CD with several pieces of music, specially selected for children and that are associated with double pages from the book.

In Eisenach, where his father is conducting the “local flute players”, Johann Sebastian finds his eagerness and talent for music. Soon, his special interest focuses on the organ, the “king of the instruments”, and, at the age of eighteen, the virtuoso young man will attract attention in Arnstadt. He becomes an organist and a Chamber musician at Weimar’s Court, Kapellmeister in Köthen and Saint Thomas Kantor in Lepizig.

Together with his occupation and his passion about composing, he also makes some time for the family and for travelling, once and again, to Dresden, but also to Postdam, to visit “Great Fritz”.

Ernst A. Ekker corrects the old picture of Bach as a submissive Church composer, a  sanctimonious prig, and brings life to the “hot headed”, who is also present in not-so-serious music styles and that has notably influenced many contemporary musicians and composers.

A musical picture book about the King of the waltz, Johann Strauss junior, and about the most important events in his life. Like some other great musicians, Johann Strauss also grew up surrounded by music, since his father was an acclaimed Viennese music star and he used to compose his pieces and to rehearse with other musicians at home. But Strauss’ son will overtake his father, as a conductor (at the age of nineteen he already had his own orchestra) and also as a composer.

Concert tours will carry him to the Universal Exposition in Paris, to England…

In Russia, he plays in a “musical” train station, and in America he celebrates the “electric Strauss”, where he conducts an orchestra of a thousand musicians.

His music becomes worlwide famous: Polkas, Marches, rigodons, and, above all, Viennese waltzes.