In the delightful new book by Michael Steinberg and Larry Rothe, For the Love of Music, Rothe devotes a chapter to the career of classical music popularizer Sigmund Spaeth. Spaeth was prominent in the '20s through the '50s, writing books and making radio appearances as "The Tune Detective", and on the Met broadcasts. Rothe has great fun discussing Spaeth's magnum opus in music appreciation, Great Symphonies: How to Recognize and Remember Them, wherein Spaeth provides lyrics -- "symphonic texts" he called them -- to stapes of the repertoire. A couple of examples: Beethoven's 5th, opening of last movement, that great C Major Moment: Fall in line, and let your armor shine! We have won, we have won, And all the struggle with the enemy is done! Opening of Schumann's Rhenish: Rhineland, lovely Rhineland Superfine land, Full of beauty, song, and story, Land of legend, land of glory! Etc.! Rothe rightly brands these nutty mnemonics as "ridiculous", and bemoans the fact that, having been exposed to them in his youth, he can't hear some pieces of music without Spaeth's doggerel popping into his head. However, Rothe does give Spaeth due credit as a sincere and energetic musical missionary. Robert Slichta's and Jon Gallant's traumatic music appreciation experiences likely derive from Spaeth. Art Scott Livermore, Cal.