Classical Music: The 50 Greatest Composers and Their 1,000 Greatest Works

'Classical Music: The 50 Greatest Composers and Their 1,000 Greatest Works' by Phil G. Goulding is a superb account of the masters who infused our creative culture with immeasurable richness. While we might question the rankings Goulding assigns each composer, because of personal preference, there would be an almost unanimous acceptance of the composers themselves.My favourite is Franz Schubert, and Goulding, in a deliciously revealing biography, finally solves the mystery surrounding the 3rd and 4th movements of Schubert's famous 'Unfinished' 8th Symphony. After months of research at the University of Vienna, Goulding discovered an unpublished letter dated April 6, 1822, from Schubert to his friend, the German poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. After weeks of meticulous translating, Goulding was both astonished and gratified. He had the answer that had evaded scholars for years. The translated letter, on page 73, reads:'Dear WolfieLast night occurred a profound event. I was engaged upon the creation of my most ambitious work, my Eighth Symphony. I had taken no solid sustenance or beverage for 72 hours, and my eyes were heavy from fatigue. As I began the 3rd movement, utterly detached from prosaic cogency by some mystical, musical maelstrom, Heidi, my young housekeeper, suddenly burst into the room and said, "Herr Schubert, you must rest and take nourishment. Would you like to see my dumplings?" Ah, Wolfie, such dumplings I saw! Whereupon the maelstrom calmed, the muse misted and that was it. Kaput. I now wonder if I will ever get the wretched thing finished.In fact, I've even lost interest in finishing this let...''Classical Music: The 50 Greatest Composers and Their 1,000 Greatest Works' is an essential text for all who admire genius.

A book for newcomers to Classical music, it acquaints you with the subject in several valuable ways. First, the different periods (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century) are defined and broken down. Then, significant artists of every period are defined. Then, the top 50 composers are listed, in order, beginning with Mr. Bach. Each of the 50 artists are then given a biographical sketch, an overview of their life's work, and their most significant works are highlighted. A Collecters Starter Kit follows for each of the 50, containing 5 works that provide good representation of their careers. Obviously, 5 works may seem laughable when considering Mozart, and may seem too much when considering Bizet, so expanded lists of works follow for those composers with a large body of work.Goulding treats this book as a research effort, but his personal views do come through at times (He makes it very clear that Georg Telemann and Antonio Vivaldi would NOT be among his top 50, but remain on list because they are historically important composers. In fact, in the description of Telemann you are greatly encouraged to substitute Sergei Rachmaninoff). The book ends with suggested recordings of each Starter Kit selection. This is very valuable reading prior to taking your next trip to the record store. Whether or not you choose to buy the recommended recordings, this section of the book gives you a good idea of who are the Great conductors and Orchestras, and picking a CD is easier when names like Solti, Karajan, Rubenstein, and Ashkenazy are names familiar to you. Enjoy the journey!

One of the best things in the book occurs before the author really gets going with the list. In the introduction, he describes how he complied the list. And it's great fun. Making value judgements seem an almost endangered species these days. Instead, here the author talks about his largely self-educative experience with classical music - from knowing nothing to becoming competent enough to write this witty book. Thus, if you are beginning a similarly self-taught journey into the intimidating and often confusing world of classical music, this book is a godsend.

Of all the books I have read on classical music, this one has got to be the most straight forward. Simple to understand for any beginner, it explains, not only some history of the composer, but the most signifigant pieces that composer produced. Thankfully, by the time I read this book, I already knew a great deal about classical music (well music history in general 'cause really there are five different periods reffered to in this book, not just the 'classical' period, those being: Renaissance; Baroque; Classical; Romantic and Twentieth Century). This book shines because it approaches the reader as a human being, knowing full well that not all of us know the meaning of texture and melody, of tone color and form. Phil Goulding is a master at meeting the reader at level, at becoming an equal to the reader. If you are interested in 'Classical' music, than this is an essential book to own, so it can be reffered to on many future occasions. One of my favorite aspects of this book is its ranking of the Top 50 composers of all time, I agree with the Top 3, though not in the order they are in currently: Bach (1); Mozart (2) and Beethoven (3). My list would have Beethoven (1); Mozart and Bach tied in 2nd and Brahms 3rd. Just to let you know. Five out of Five.

I bought this book back in 1993 because I always loved classical music but knew very little about it. I cannot say enough good things about Goulding's work. The book is funny and well-written, but more importantly well-thought-out. It is is extremely useful and highly, highly recommended for someone who wants to learn about classical music and build a collection. (FYI: As for the previous comment about Rachmoninoff, he is actually in the book, although not listed as a Top 50 in terms of importance and greatness. Goulding apparently agonized over this decision and includes a very funny section about it.)