Attica's CD-ROM lets you learn about classical music

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): What is it that makes classical music so unique? Well, each of us can give an account of what makes classical music so special to us. However, I guess we can all agree that classical music is called classical simply because it never dies. We pass a music shop where a classical CD is being listened to by an interested customer, and the music will keep playing in our mind long after we hear it. At least that's what makes classical music different from other types of music.

And once you get hooked on classical music, it can turn into an addiction. It's this kind of craving that I must still satisfy now and then. And it's much harder to do now because CDs have become so expensive.

Realizing that my knowledge in classical music is still very limited, I also collect material that provides an introduction to this type of music. Therefore, when I came across a CD titled The A to Z of Classical Music in a small music store in Canberra, Australia, two years ago, I grabbed it right away.

It's a two CD set with a 270-page booklet. It encompasses works from four centuries, and understandably it cannot possibly fit into two CDs. Therefore, what I got in them were just short excerpts of the most significant works.

Nevertheless, the booklet, written by English-born Keith Anderson and published by HNH Publications (1995), is packed with information. It also provides lists of recommended recordings and photos of the composers. The quality of the recordings is also quite acceptable. But, since it's a book, it becomes one of those things that you buy with great expectations but which ends up being buried among other stuff on your bookshelves.

Recently, however, I came across a CD-ROM by Attica that was really a topnotcher. Attica is a UK-based company -- www.attica.com -- that specializes in multimedia products. Other CD-ROM entries from this company include the award-winning Interactive Geography, Interactive Chemistry, and World Atlas.

Tasteful Design

The first thing that struck me when I first loaded this multimedia software was the beauty of the screens. As you can see in the accompanying picture, the screen design is so elegant that it easily matches the grandeur of famous opera houses in Europe. It is also very easy to navigate across the various parts of the program.

The beauty of this CD is more than just skin deep, though. First of all, even if you are already somewhat knowledgeable about classical music, you'll find the narrated Introduction very informative and entertaining. As a woman's voice tells you what makes up the world of classical music, you will hear the aria from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro in the background.

The CD contains more than four hours of classical music, from the Baroque period to the modern period. You will be able to read about 62 composers, from Henry Purcell, who was born in 1659, to Phillip Glass, the American composer who was born in 1937.

Would you like to learn more about Vivaldi and his work? On the home screen, click on the Composer icon and find his name in the list of composers, as shown in the accompanying picture. On the right, there will be a highlight of the composer. Click on the Biography icon and a window will pop up and you will be able to read a short biography. Another icon will bring you the list of the composer's works.

Of course, you would like to listen to the music, too. So, click on another icon at the bottom right of the Composer page, and you'll find a list of recordings to play.

Would you like to know the meaning of the word cancan? Go to the Glossary and Index page, and you'll find a brief explanation of what the word means. It's not encyclopedic but at least it will give you some idea.

Have you wondered who was born first: Mozart or Beethoven? Well, the Timeline page doesn't only tell you who came first upon the earth, it also allows you to click on each of the composers' pictures to get more information about them.

Limitations

Obviously, the biggest limitation that the people working on this CD-ROM had to face must have been the limited storage capacity of a CD-ROM. This CD still has the standard CD-ROM format, yet it's really packed with audio data -- and video, too. Click on the Glossary and Index icon and click again at the bottom left hand corner to choose Video. You'll have a list of six video clips of performing orchestras that you can play right out of the CD-ROM, including my favorite Opus No. 48, Serenade for Strings by Tchaikovsky. Because of the limited storage space, unfortunately, the software manufacturer could not put the entire performance on this platter, and it is really a pity.

But, don't worry. In two or three years, DVD technology will enable software manufacturers like Attica to combine a full- length classical music performance with information in the same fashion as this CD. They will also be able to add my favorite arias from Puccini's operas, which are woefully absent on this CD. However, if you want to educate yourself about classical music, or if you want your children to start appreciating this music, this is, for now, a highly recommended piece of software.