Story-Lives of Great Musicians

"Story-Lives of Great Musicians" by Francis Jameson Rowbotham is a collection of stories about the lives of significant composers, meant for young readers. The book weaves together true stories with engaging tales to teach its audience about the challenges, dreams, and times of musicians like Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederick Handel. The collection of biographical sketches starts with a look at Johann Sebastian Bach's early years showing how his family affected him and the strong love of music he had when he was young. The beginning describes Bach's hard childhood after his parents died, how excited he was to learn even when his older brother Christoph did not encourage him, and how determined he was to study advanced music despite problems. The story prepares us for Bach's lasting relationship with music, revealing how he kept practicing late at night, demonstrating his strong desire for knowledge and skill. This creates an interesting start to discovering the lives of great musicians that awaits in the rest of the book.