Art book for music beginners: Hopper's Light and Bach's Desert

Stories of 39 artists that are easy even for readers new to music

I have read quite a few art-related books lately, but I do not think I have ever read a music-related one. When art is explained and unpacked, I can understand and accept it, whereas explanations about music often leave me wondering, “Is that so?” even after reading them. I understand it in my head but cannot relate to it, so I tend not to reach for music books. This book, however, tells the stories of 39 artists across music and art.

Hopper's Light and Bach's Desert

Author Kim Hee-gyeong and a table of contents arranged by personality

The author, Kim Hee-gyeong, is said to be deeply knowledgeable about the arts—enough to serve as an adjunct professor at the Korea National University of Arts. Her major was law, but she recognized the importance of the cultural arts, studied the field, and completed master's and doctoral coursework in a related discipline. Since then, she has worked as a film critic and a comics and webtoon critic, and has published several books.

The table of contents unfolds in a rather fresh way. I expected it to be arranged chronologically or grouped by similar periods, but instead it is divided into groups based on the artists' personalities.

The category themes use somewhat humorous current buzzwords. I think that is the author's thoughtful touch, making it feel light and easy to read even before you begin.

Artist episodes read while listening through QR codes

It also builds a sense of connection through drama and film music we already know, describing each story one by one without making it difficult.

When explaining a musician's episode, I could follow QR codes like these and listen to the related music. Reading about Pavarotti while listening to his “Nessun dorma” made the emotion of his eventual success after setbacks feel even more immediate.

If I had to spend the rest of my life in a desert with no one around, and could listen to or perform the music of only one composer, I would undoubtedly choose Bach.

I suppose the “Bach's Desert” in the title of the book comes from this quotation.

It also covers contemporary art, which made it feel a little more familiar.

A format that takes 30 minutes to read and helps you remember artists

At the very back of the book is an overview. Visual artists and musicians are organized separately, so it is easy to look them up when you cannot remember something. It is a book you can finish in about 30 minutes. Because it is a book you can read lightly and close lightly, I could read it without feeling any pressure. Yet after reading it, I had learned about 39 artists. Even music books that had usually felt unfamiliar became easy to read.

People may go, but art remains.

I think that is absolutely true. But through their art, artists have also left people behind. Thanks to that, I learned about those people too. If you need a book to build your intellectual culture, Hopper's Light and Bach's Desert is such a light and lovely book.