The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music

No matter the degree of knowledge of music, if you are interested in music as an art form, or if it is your career or simply your passion, you should invest in this book. It covers every imaginable subject on music, from terms to composers. I cannot tell you how many times I have referred to this book, whether to understand a concept better, to research the works of Benjamin Britten, or find out what a Gora is. This book has useful illustrations, but puts more emphasis on conservation of space in order to include a huge range of entries.