Libbey book guides novices into classical music

by John Birge, Minnesota Public Radio

The world of classical music can often be intimidating, but National Public Radio commentator Ted Libbey offers a friendly and entertaining guide into it with his latest book.

"The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music" is for the general reader who wants to know more about the history, terms, composers, and performers of classical music. It's also an interactive guide that allows readers to go online and hear the music Libbey writes about in the book.

In a conversation with Minnesota Public Radio's John Birge, Ted Libbey talks about the 11 years it took to create the book and how he decided what to include and what to leave out.