About the Book
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • 35TH-ANNIVERSARY EDITION
David W. Barber has delighted readers all around the world with Accidentals on Purpose, When the Fat Lady Sings and other internationally bestselling books of musical humor. Bach, Beethoven and the Boys has sold more than 170,000 copies since its introduction 35 years ago. The book chronicles the lives of the great (and not-so-great) composers as you’ve never read them before – exploring their sex lives, exposing their foibles and expanding on our understanding of these all-too-human creatures. Filled with information, interesting facts and trivia and complete with an index, this hilarious history covers music from Gregorian chant to the mess we’re in now. From Bach’s laundry lists to Beethoven’s bowel problems, from Gesualdo’s kinky fetishes to Cage’s mushroom madness, Barber tells tales out of school that ought to be put back there. (Think how much more fun it would be if they taught this stuff.)
About the Author
David W. Barber is a journalist and musician and the author of more than a dozen books of humorous music history (including Accidentals on Purpose; Bach, Beethoven and the Boys; When the Fat Lady Sings; and Getting a Handel on Messiah) and literature (including Quotable Sherlock and Quotable Alice). Formerly entertainment editor of The Kingston Whig-Standard, editor of Broadcast Week magazine at the Toronto Globe and Mail and assistant editor of arts and life for Postmedia newspapers, he is currently a freelance writer, editor, musician and composer. As a composer, his works include two symphonies, a jazz mass based on the music of Dave Brubeck, a Requiem, several short choral and chamber works and various vocal-jazz songs and arrangements. He sings with the Toronto Chamber Choir and a variety of other choirs on occasion. In a varied career, among his more interesting jobs have been short stints as a roadie for Pope John Paul II, a publicist for Prince Rainier of Monaco and a backup singer for Avril Lavigne.
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