CLASSICAL MUSIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: New & Expanded Edition

Regarded as THE definitive encyclopedia which offers an unprecedented depth and range of information, the encyclopedia traces the development of Western music from medieval to the modern era. Each chapter begins with an introduction, setting the music within its social, cultural and historical context and clarifies the many facets of the development of classical music, updated in the Modern chapters. Personalities sections feature an A-Z of key composers and musicians of the era, detailing their lives and major works and supplemented with an expert's recommended recording for each composer from Mozart to Stravinsky. The Styles and Forms sections discuss origins, development, influence and impact of the many different styles of music and here the reader can discover the best examples of specific styles, focussing on popular melodies that are familiar to us all. Key dates cover the development of music and instruments in that era and there is a comprehensive bibliography, glossary and listings of the key music organisations around the world. Originally edited by Stanley Sadie, one of the world's leading musicologists, and written by a distinguished team of nine scholars and 33 experts in their specific field, there is a Foreword by the virtuoso pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy. A superb wide ranging reference work which will entertain, excite and inform. With a nice double column layout, woodcut illus. and fact boxes. A whopping 496 magnificent pages, first time discounted.