Just as every book has its own special bookmark, so too it has its very own music. A particular soundtrack that matches the rhythm and mood of the story. I spend a considerable amount of time picking each book, and part of the process is searching for the right music to accompany it. It must compliment without intruding, and draw me closer to the scene.
When a story seems as lonesome as it is hopeful, I know I can turn to Pablo Casals’ “Suite for Solo Cello, Nos. 1-6.” These works will lend a tone of passion and learned age to any book, and you might enjoy them as a backdrop to conversation besides.
If you prefer your instruments to have six strings, you might look up some of the 20th century’s best known instrumentalists. With Andres Segovia’s classical arrangements, Leo Kottke’s fingerpicking folk and Ottmar Liebert’s Spanish-influenced new age, an entire library of enjoyment awaits you.
Now for stories of a more fantastical nature, I prefer something unrestrained in beauty and imagination. Jean Michel Jarre’s “Oxygene” carried me through Asimov’s “Foundation Trilogy,” filling the void of space with matter and wonder. His album “Equinoxe” accompanied my reading of Stephen King’s “The Dark Half,” and they both haunt me to this day.
The next time you reach for a book, pause a moment to consider what it might sound like. If you find the right match you won’t be able to put it down, or turn it off.
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