The Composer Is Dead facts for kids
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| Author | text by Lemony Snicket; music by Nathaniel Stookey |
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| Illustrator | Carson Ellis |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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March 3, 2009 |
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The Composer Is Dead is a super cool musical story from 2009. It's a special mix of music and words, created by Lemony Snicket (who wrote the text) and Nathaniel Stookey (who made the music). The awesome pictures are by Carson Ellis. This unique project helps kids learn about the different instruments in an orchestra, all while solving a fun mystery! It was released as a musical recording and also as a book with a CD.
Contents
Discovering The Composer Is Dead
The Composer Is Dead is a creative work that combines a fun story with educational music. It's designed to introduce young people to the many different instruments that make up a full orchestra. Imagine learning about music while trying to solve a puzzle!
The Mystery Story
The main part of The Composer Is Dead is a thrilling murder mystery. Someone has killed the composer! The story takes place right inside an orchestra, where all the instruments are suspects. As you follow the clues, you'll meet each section of the orchestra. You'll learn what sounds they make and how they work together. The book even comes with a bonus CD. This CD lets you hear the music and narration as you read along.
Music and Learning
The Composer Is Dead started as a special piece of music for an orchestra. Nathaniel Stookey wrote the music, and Lemony Snicket narrated the story. The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra asked them to create this work. It first played on July 8, 2006, in San Francisco. Lemony Snicket himself narrated, and Edwin Outwater conducted the orchestra.
How it Began
This musical piece was inspired by famous works like Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. It's also similar to Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Both of these pieces help young audiences learn about orchestra instruments. The first recording of The Composer Is Dead was made by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. This recording, with Lemony Snicket narrating, is included with every copy of the book.
Performances Around the World
After its first performance, The Composer Is Dead became very popular. Many orchestras have performed it for their audiences. Some of these include:
- The Toronto Symphony Orchestra
- The Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- The Philadelphia Orchestra
- The Dallas Symphony
- The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
- The Los Angeles Philharmonic
- Orpheus Sinfonia
- The Treasure Valley Symphony
On January 26, 2008, the Little Orchestra Society performed the work in New York City. This shows how much people enjoy this unique way of learning about music!
