Classical Music

This is a typically well constructed Eyewitness Companions book. The focus is classical music, bridging the time period from 1000 to the present. The editor-in-charge, John Burrows, notes the goal of this book (Page 10): "The book should inform, excite, inspire and be very accessible to Classical music lovers of all ages and levels of knowledge." The Introduction is authored by Lady Solti, the widow of the great conductor, Sir Georg Solti. She observes that (Page 11): "Music is in my opinion the missing link between the physical and the spirit; it is also a great educator. As with all Eyewitness Companions works, the opening sections provide background and context. Among the key subjects: the elements of classical music, including pitch, intervals, harmony, rhythm, tempo (Have you always been curious about what terms like andante and allegro and vivace mean? Check out page 21), and dynamics (Pianissimo to Fortissimo), inter alia. The next part of the book explores the instruments of classical music, discussing the evolution of instruments over the centuries. Then, classical music in performance, including the development of the concert. Once more, there is an historical context provided. Then, the book moves to a period-by-period examination of classical music, from early music (1000-1600) to modern music (1900-present). For each period, there is a nice opening discussion on the nature of music of the time. The first significant composers include artists such as Hildegard de Bingen (1098-1179), Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377), Guillaume Dufay (1397-1474), Josquin Desprez (145-1521), Thomas Tallis (1505-1585), and Giovanni Palestrina (1525-1594). The next era, the Baroque covers roughly the time frame from 1600-1750. Of the many great composers, a few of those covered in this segment include Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706), George Frederic Handel (1685-1759), Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). And so on, including the Classical Era, the Romantic Era, Romantic Opera, Modern Music, along with an interesting discussion of "National Schools" from 1830-1950. The waterfront is covered, although, with the format of this book, there is no room for depth of consideration for any single composer. But one will get a sense of the sweep of classical music over a period of a thousand years. There are some composers whom I would have liked to have seen appear in this work, such as the quirky George Antheil and the contemporary Jennifer Higdon. For the reader who wants a useful introduction to the subject, this book is worth acquiring.

The information is carefully gathered and put in this encyclopedia in a qualitative way. It's a precise and thorough piece of work, which worths your money.

Far more composers are included than you'd expect in this almost pocketsize volume. Light and enjoyable reading, yet an excellent overview of 'classical music' for everyone. Many terms are defined, some aren't and you wish they were. Helpful index in the back. Good quick reference, never bogs down with too much information. Stirred my curiousity over and over again to go out and learn more on this huge subject we call 'classical music'. The 'snapshot' descriptions are easy to read and interesting for the casual reader. I truly loved the pictures and imagery throughout this book. Top Notch quality! However, not all the photos are identified or given descriptions. Perhaps that is by design though... Never-the-less, the stunning visuals makes this book a definite keeper!

I'm always a little leery of small books that suggest they have everything one needs to know on a subject but after carefully looking at DK's Classical Music, I think they did as good a job as could be done and aesthetically, the book is pleasing and comfortable to handle.