REFERENCE

Symphonies for the Soul: Classical Music To Cure Any Ailment

by Oliver Condy
Cassell: Octopus. Nov. 2021. 192p. ISBN 9781788403184. $20. REF
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Educator and classical organist Condy suggests classical music to restore the soul that’s afflicted by pessimism, pettiness, sloth, guilt, or the like. The entry for each emotional ailment includes a brief general introduction and one or more symphonic selections to counter the malaise. Troubled by urban overload? Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus mixes birdsong and other natural sounds with orchestral music to rejuvenate listeners. Feeling inadequate? Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, originally panned by critics, are reminders that severe criticism needn’t dampen the spirit.
VERDICT Readers will learn of musical suggestions to invite passion as well as soothe grief. Of interest to those seeking gentle, at-home, nonmedical solace and mood-elevating ideas.
Reviewed by Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX , Dec 01, 2021
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