The Life and Works of Chopin
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The Life and Works of Chopin
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Narrated by:
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Jeremy Siepmann
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By:
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Jeremy Siepmann
About this listen
Frédéric Chopin is the pianist-composer par excellence. Regarded as one of the most mesmeric performers of his day, he lives on his music - his waltzes, mazurkas, études, preludes, nocturnes, three piano sonatas, two piano concertos, and much more. Here, his life - from his birth in Poland, his famous affair with the French writer George Sand, and his death at the age of 49 in Paris - is told with his music featuring prominently.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2001 Jeremy Siepmann (P)2001 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.Listeners also enjoyed...
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This biography of Frederick Chopin, with commentary on his works, including beautifully played samples of the pieces under discussion, is a near perfect use of the audio format. Siepmann writes with acumen and sympathy about both the man and the music, and reads the narration with equal skill. When dialogue is taken verbatim from letters or journals, four skillful actors are used to bring long dead personalities to life and add texture to the narrative.
Critic reviews
- Audie Award Winner, Original Work, 2002
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 933
When a mysterious stranger unveils a long-hidden truth, Lauren Malloy’s life is thrown into chaos. For years, Lauren believed her mother, Lori, died of natural causes, but the shocking reality is that her loving mother was brutally murdered when Lauren was just an infant. Now, 30 years later, Lauren is on a relentless quest for justice. Over the past four years, she’s embarked on an emotional journey filled with unexpected twists, recording hundreds of hours of interviews with law enforcement, family, friends, and even potential suspects.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Gripping
- By Emily Palmer on 10-12-24
By: AYR Media
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You Will Not Recognize Your Life
- By: Micaela Blei
- Narrated by: Micaela Blei
- Length: 2 hrs and 48 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 143
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 142
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Story5 out of 5 stars 142
It’s 2006. After a string of rejections from men who tell her they could never, ever, ever see her “that way,” awkward third-grade teacher Micaela Blei signs up for a mysterious course called “The Divine Feminine,” and feels like she might have found the key to the perfect life. Turns out if you’re an A student, you can get an A in anything–including men. Pretty soon she’s learning to "conjure" her desires with vision boards, flirtations, and even a daring jumbotron viewing party for her, ahem ... "divine center."
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5 out of 5 stars
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Couldn’t stop listening!
- By Amy R. Shearn on 12-13-24
By: Micaela Blei
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Born a Crime
- Stories from a South African Childhood
- By: Trevor Noah
- Narrated by: Trevor Noah
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 215,368
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 194,838
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Story5 out of 5 stars 193,869
In this award-winning Audible Studios production, Trevor Noah tells his wild coming-of-age tale during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa. It’s a story that begins with his mother throwing him from a moving van to save him from a potentially fatal dispute with gangsters, then follows the budding comedian’s path to self-discovery through episodes both poignant and comical.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great book and perfect narration
- By MarilynArms on 12-15-16
By: Trevor Noah
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The Abyssinians
- By: Banna Desta
- Narrated by: Danielle Deadwyler, Phillip Brannon, André De Shields, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 43 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 128
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 122
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 122
Royal intrigue takes center stage in The Abyssinians, a gripping new audio drama starring Danielle Deadwyler (Till, The Piano Lesson) delivering a masterful performance as a cunning queen navigating treacherous political waters and scheming sons. In the wake of King Ezana’s death, his brash widow Queen Yodit (Deadwyler) must decide which of her twin sons will ascend to the throne. Clashing beliefs about religion, duty, and the rights of a ruler collide in this unforgettable story about a royal house at a crossroads in history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Compelling Narration
- By Kitrail Hargrove on 12-07-24
By: Banna Desta
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Going Infinite
- The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
- By: Michael Lewis
- Narrated by: Michael Lewis
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,092
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,877
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,875
When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side?
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1 out of 5 stars
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really expected more rigor from Michael Lewis
- By Wowhello on 10-04-23
By: Michael Lewis
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The Madman's Hotel
- By: Niall Breslin
- Narrated by: Niall Breslin
- Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 531
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 516
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 516
In the heart of the rolling green hills of Ireland a huge abandoned psychiatric asylum looms large and holds its secrets close, until one family fights to find the truth about their long lost great grandmother. Presented by Irish celebrity and mental health advocate Niall Breslin - this is the untold story of the quest to find patient Julia Leonard, alongside many others, who came to die in St Loman’s Hospital near Dublin. Why was Julia in St Loman’s? And what happened to her and other patients who found themselves within its walls?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Heart felt Remembrance
- By RosaInGlousta on 11-05-24
By: Niall Breslin
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Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
- A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
- By: Lori Gottlieb
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43,517
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 38,330
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38,193
One day, Lori Gottlieb is a therapist who helps patients in her Los Angeles practice. The next, a crisis causes her world to come crashing down. Enter Wendell, the quirky but seasoned therapist in whose office she suddenly lands. With his balding head, cardigan, and khakis, he seems to have come straight from Therapist Central Casting. Yet he will turn out to be anything but.
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2 out of 5 stars
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It was like a hallmark movie being waterboarded into my ears for 15 hours
- By Amazon Customer on 10-01-19
By: Lori Gottlieb
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The Parole Room
- By: Ben Austen
- Narrated by: Ben Austen
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 358
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 353
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 353
Will Johnnie Veal—convicted of the murder of two police officers in 1970—be granted parole after 50 years in prison? How can he convince the parole board he’s reformed when he insists he’s innocent? What is prison time even supposed to accomplish? These are the questions that propel The Parole Room forward as it builds toward Johnnie’s 20th parole hearing—after 19 rejections.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enlightening story & a must read
- By Patsy on 10-07-24
By: Ben Austen
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Problem Child
- By: Terrell Carter, Stacy Thunes
- Narrated by: Terrell Carter
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 279
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 253
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Story5 out of 5 stars 253
Problem Child is the unbelievably true story of Terrell Carter, an American musician and actor who grew up in Buffalo, New York, in a dysfunctional family, each member crazier than the next. And the Problem Child is the only one in the story who may, or may not, actually have a problem. An emotional journey of trials and revelations, with a huge secret at its core, this story may force you to laugh - just to keep from crying.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Worth the wait . . .
- By JPALJ on 12-07-22
By: Terrell Carter, and others
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Elvis and Me
- By: Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
- Narrated by: Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,225
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,914
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,907
The inspiration for the major motion picture Priscilla directed by Sofia Coppola, this New York Times best seller reveals the intimate story of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, told by the woman who lived it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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What a story!
- By Pen Name on 08-28-22
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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19,948
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16,498
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 16,494
The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
- By Cynthia on 12-11-13
By: Jack Weatherford
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The Wonder of Stevie
- By: Wesley Morris
- Narrated by: Wesley Morris, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 719
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 674
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Story5 out of 5 stars 674
The year 1972 saw the beginning of a five-year span in which Stevie Wonder released five groundbreaking, critically acclaimed albums, garnering him more than half a dozen Grammys and more than 10 million albums sold, securing his place as one of the most important American musicians and songwriters in history. For the first time, uncover the untold story of an extraordinary artistic journey that shaped the greatest creative era in popular music history.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Good but not great
- By Anonymous User on 09-14-24
By: Wesley Morris
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The Last Days of Cabrini-Green
- By: Ben Austen, Harrison David Rivers
- Narrated by: Ben Austen, Patina Miller, Harry Lennix, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 152
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 149
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Story5 out of 5 stars 149
In 1992, the deadliest year in Chicago’s history, seven-year-old Dantrell Davis was shot and killed in front of his elementary school inside the public housing complex Cabrini-Green. What happened to Dantrell led to a truce among Chicago’s gangs, but it also ignited a national panic about poverty and violence in America’s cities. Dantrell’s name would soon be used to demolish all of Chicago’s high-rise public housing, displacing tens of thousands of low-income families.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Gripping and Necessary Work
- By booklover on 11-24-24
By: Ben Austen, and others
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San Miguel Kidnappings
- By: Erick Galindo, Roger Vela
- Narrated by: Karla Souza
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 27
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 27
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Story4 out of 5 stars 27
The close knit community in San Miguel de Allende Mexico was plagued by a string of sophisticated kidnappings for nearly a decade. When the police finally made an arrest the townspeople were shocked by who was accused of masterminding the criminal enterprise. It's everyone's favorite neighbor and a pillar of the community, Ramon Guerra. Except Ramon isn't who he says he is.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Insightful
- By Tara on 12-11-24
By: Erick Galindo, and others
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The Book of Murder
- A Prosecutor's Journey Through Love and Death
- By: Matt Murphy
- Narrated by: Matt Murphy
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 363
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 355
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Story5 out of 5 stars 355
Examining murder from an insider’s perspective, Matt Murphy—a former senior deputy district attorney and current ABC News legal analyst—discusses cases from his career, how they strained his personal life, and how he found peace seeking justice for victims and their families. Part taxonomy of murder, part prosecutor’s handbook, and part personal memoir, The Book of Murder goes through a dozen cases and his recollections of his 26 years in the Orange County DA’s office (17 in the Homicide Unit).
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating true crime
- By RueRue on 12-19-24
By: Matt Murphy
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The Meaning of Mariah Carey
- By: Mariah Carey
- Narrated by: Mariah Carey
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 13,234
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 11,725
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Story5 out of 5 stars 11,679
It took me a lifetime to have the courage and the clarity to write my memoir. I want to tell the story of the moments - the ups and downs, the triumphs and traumas, the debacles and the dreams - that contributed to the person I am today. This book is composed of my memories, my mishaps, my struggles, my survival, and my songs. Unfiltered. I went deep into my childhood and gave the scared little girl inside of me a big voice. I let the abandoned and ambitious adolescent have her say, and the betrayed and triumphant woman I became tell her side.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Entertaining glitz glam smoke and mirrors - not the whole story.
- By Anonymous User on 10-04-20
By: Mariah Carey
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Episodes
- The True Story of Two Friends & One Diagnosis
- By: Mara Altman, Kat Alexander
- Narrated by: Mara Altman, Kat Alexander
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 199
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 196
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Story5 out of 5 stars 196
In Episodes, lifelong best friends Kat and Mara take listeners on an unfiltered journey through friendship, mental illness, and survival. Kat, a successful professional, is preparing for marriage and motherhood. On her fourth round of IVF, it happened—a frantic call to Mara. Mara comes over to find Kat, her friend of 25 years—the one who'd always been levelheaded, hilarious, and over-the-top thoughtful—trying to jump through a window.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Just listen!
- By AJ on 11-17-24
By: Mara Altman, and others
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X
- As Told to Alex Haley
- By: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
- Narrated by: Laurence Fishburne
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 12,486
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 11,106
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Story5 out of 5 stars 11,047
Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
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4 out of 5 stars
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it's Nearly perfect
- By Kerry on 09-16-20
By: Malcolm X, and others
What listeners say about The Life and Works of Chopin
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Aaron Elliott
- 04-19-07
Wanting More of the Piano Genius
I very much enjoyed this audiobook. It glides effortlessly from snippets of stories to short musical exerpts. The readers are very adept. The only minor drawback is this book only scratches the surface of this genius of the piano. I wanted more.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- willow33
- 05-29-14
Puts the Audio in Audiobook
Any additional comments?
Beyond being an excellent primer on Chopin, this audiobook is an model for taking audiobooks beyond recitations of words on a page. Besides the addition of music samples, I so enjoyed having other voices added to that of the narrator's, something I would love to see done in fiction audiobooks, at least a male and a female narrator.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sandra
- 07-23-12
Beautiful and Inspiring...
What a delightful book. It was so pleasant hearing Chopin's music along with his life story and seeing how events in his life inspired certain pieces.
This is such an interesting way to learn about the masters.
The narrators voice was pleasant.
A+++++++
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Dr
- 01-10-15
A good introduction to Chopin
This is a good introduction to Chopin in both narrative and musical examples. One hears from Chopin's writings and from those who admired him along with some who didn't
There is a good balance between narrative and long musical instruments samples.
I cannot read music and found this a very informative guide to Chopin and his work.
I will listen to his music with more insight as a result of this work
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Hal
- 04-01-09
Best music biography I have heard
When I first downloaded this I has a player that only supported a format 2 download, which is entirely inadequate for playing music. With format 4, the sound is excellent.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Rob
- 08-22-04
Chopin - excellent
Could have been twice as long - but wasn't. Nevertheless absorbing, entertaining and informative.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Leigh A
- 04-05-04
The short of it.
A little better than Cliff notes. If you love the music and want to get into what moved the man to create, you will only get a glance. A chronological review of his life with readings of his and other?s letters. Music is included, but I would have preferred much more depth in how the pieces were inspired. The presentation is more a history book than a passionate tale of a great artist. The book could have, and should have been twice as long.
Authors just shouldn?t narrate their own work, although Siepmann does better than most. The music was noticeably poorer in sound quality than the spoken word.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jay Quintana
- 07-01-03
4+ Hours of Enjoyment
Entertaining, informative, excellent narration... a great introduction to Chopin. Listened to it twice in 1 week.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Stephen
- 07-16-03
Excellent Through and Through
Narrator's voice 5/5
Additional Voices 5/5
Dialog or story 5/5
This was my first audiobook purchase and it certainly raised my expectations. The narrator and author has done an excellent job. The pace is natural and Chopin's music enters in a timely manner. Just as important as the main narrator's voice is that of the additional voices (heard as letters). They are superb and beyond what you would expect from an audiobook in terms of quality. A very good listen.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Alexander
- 09-22-04
Staggering experience of Chopin?s world of music
An eloquent and powerful story of personal struggle and courage to live a life of an artist. This extraordinary work extends human sympathy to the composer personality beyond the point where it normally comes to his music alone. A moving , eccentric and unforgettable experience of Chopin's world supported by numerous well-selected examples of his musical genius.
Jeremy Siepmann has a rare feeling for music, language and an understanding of character which few can rival.
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4 people found this helpful