What Charlie Heard by Mordicai Gerstein

My first encounter with the music of Charles Ives was in sixth grade. The Westchester All-County Orchestra was performing his "Variations on America." I had never heard anything like it before-- it sounded like noise! Different parts of the orchestra played in different keys simultaneously, while sometimes, I couldn't even tell what tune was the basis of the variation. There were so many accidentals that the page was a mass of black ink. I didn't necessarily appreciate the music that first time, but I could definitely tell there was something special about this Ives guy.

In What Charlie Heard, Mordicai Gerstein does an amazing job of describing Ive's life and music using pictures and words. I've never seen a better representation of what goes on inside someone's head aurally than in this children's book. The pages are filled with exhuberant noises that fairly pop out of the paper into the air. Then, when Charlie is notified that his father has died, Gerstein's use of silence is so beautiful I want to cry.

What Charlie Heard by Mordicai Gerstein

tags: children's books book reviews classical music Charles Ives Mordicai Gerstein