Overview
The Madman’s Orchestra is a fascinating and beautifully illustrated journey through the entire history of music. Join Edward Brooke-Hitching as he lifts the curtain on the strangest episodes from the entire history of music, taking us on a backstage tour of the most surprising and eccentric stories.
From the musical secrets of prehistoric monuments to the future of compositions by artificial intelligence, The Madman’s Orchestra uncovers the most curious tales, madcap musicians, and unusual instruments lost in time. Fascinating, funny, and at times barely believable, The Madman’s Orchestra is a unique exploration of the history of music that will strike a chord with fans of beautiful books and bizarre history, and delight with a rich depth and variety of research that ultimately celebrates the boundless creativity of our musical imagination.
IN THESE PAGES, DISCOVER ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS LIKE:
- What does the song of a black hole sound like?
- Which composition requires four helicopters and a string quartet with strong stomachs to play it correctly?
- How exactly would the ‘cat organ’ sound, and would it be any more pleasing to the ear than the ‘hog harmonium’?
DISCOVER musical hoaxes, compositions relayed by ghosts, the code-writing of musical cryptography, the pop songs smuggled past Soviet censors using X-rays, the beauty of Renaissance ‘eye music’, compositions by the Devil, the supernatural instruments played by witches, and the experimental scientist who created the ‘visible voice.’ and the symphony designed to bring about the Apocalypse.
PRAISE FOR EDWARD BROOKE-HITCHING’S THE MADMAN’S LIBRARY:
"Viscerally delightful: get it for yourself, give it as a gift, keep it close by as a dopamine-boosting alternative to scrolling through your phone."
―Vanity Fair
"Strikingly illustrated...beguiling"
―The Washington Post
“Brooke-Hitching is a wry, likable ring master, threading his acts together with an arch, enjoyable erudition…and The Madman’s Library, bursting at the seams, is really rather wonderful.”
― The Spectator (US)
"Fantastic."
― Open Culture
"A must-have for any bibliomaniac. Over the course of this splendidly illustrated volume, Brooke-Hitching reviews the history of the book, investigating a variety of forms and a wide range of media but always emphasizing the extraordinary. "
―BookPage
Perfect for:
- Music lovers
- History buffs
- Anyone interested in bizarre oddities, obscure cultural events, and the macabre
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