Zeitreise durch die Musik für Kinder – A Journey Through Music History
“Music only touches us when it tells a story. This book opens up beautifully illustrated worlds of learning for children and young people. To promote general musical education, symphonic and classical works are connected with and explored through European literature and art. Art history becomes a high-quality experience here and supports a lifelong relationship with music.”
Published by Doblinger, one of Austria’s most respected long-standing music publishers, Zeitreise durch die Musik für Kinder (“A Journey Through Music for Children”) is an educational two-volume series designed to introduce young readers to the history of Western music in an engaging, age-appropriate way. The series combines pedagogical clarity with artistic quality.
A Refined Introduction to Music History
Internationally renowned violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter praises the publication for fostering early musical understanding and enthusiasm. Former Austrian Federal President Dr. Heinz Fischer highlights its cultural value in introducing younger generations to Austria’s rich musical heritage. The Vienna Philharmonic, alongside eminent pianist and Mozart interpreter Paul Badura-Skoda, also lend their support—an endorsement that speaks to the series’ artistic credibility.
Volume I
The first volume guides children through the early chapters of music history—from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the Baroque and Classical eras. Great composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are introduced not as distant historical figures, but as vivid personalities within their cultural contexts.
The text is complemented by illustrations, musical examples, and carefully structured explanations that encourage active listening and curiosity. Rather than overwhelming young learners with dates and terminology, the volume invites them to experience stylistic differences and historical developments as part of an unfolding story.
Volume II
The second volume continues the journey into the Romantic era and beyond, presenting composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and selected figures of the 20th century. Here, children encounter the expanding emotional range of Romantic music and the stylistic diversity of modern compositions.
As in the first volume, historical context, biography, and musical development are interwoven in a narrative format that fosters understanding rather than mere memorisation. The series encourages young readers not only to learn about music history, but to recognise its relevance to their own musical experiences.
“I consider the book to be one of the most important cultural, scholarly, and educational institutions in the cultural history of humankind. Every good book is a valuable product of our intellectual endeavor and offers added value not only to every reader, but also to society as a whole. The project of this cultural piano-book journey through the history of music is an excellent example of this fundamental observation.”
“Not only for children, but also for many adults, our culture-our wonderful music-is a foreign land. This enchanting, richly illustrated, and witty book will surely help transform ‘foreign lands and people’ into familiar countries and cherished friends.”
Nihao from Austria
Nihao from Austria is a bilingual music English/Chinese book - that brings together Austrian and Chinese musical traditions.
Published through the collaboration of Doblinger Musikverlag in Vienna and the People’s Music Publishing House in Beijing, the book is now part of music education in China. It offers students an introduction to European musical heritage, while remaining rooted in dialogue and exchange.
