SWOONING

The history of classical music is littered with murder, sado-masochism, adultery, bigamy, fraud, riches, poverty, nervous breakdowns, bizarre habits, gluttony and terrible, terrible toilet humour (Mozart was the prime exponent of the latter). Classical music, nice? Not at all. It's the most immediate expression of mental and emotional extremes: part deception, sometimes dangerous and frequently a discomforting revelation. Just as the unsuspecting listener makes the connections between classical music and certain states of mind, so SWOONING documents the all-too human flaws in the lives of the great composers by loosely following the sequence of emotions as experienced in a love affair – one that doesn't work out, of course.

Anger and Beethoven, sadness and Tchaikovsky, triumph and Wagner, freedom and Mozart...it's all here: a whimsical guide to the conduct of a romance with some handy hints on how to make it more, well harmonious. And more importantly, a greater understanding and love for the music itself that may tempt you to try out the odd concerto or symphony as well.

Christopher Lawrence's career spans more than 25 years of broadcasting. He is author of three bestselling books, has written and produced documentaries, presented an interview series for the Ovation television cable channel, and conducted most of Australia's capital city symphony orchestras. As an orchestral and opera recording producer he has been awarded an International Emmy for Performing Arts, three ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association) Awards, a Churchill Fellowship, and the Editors' Choice Award at the 1992 Cannes Classical Awards in France.

(Revised edition. The original, published in 2001 by Random House, was an Australian bestseller.)