The Penguin Companion To Classical Music

This superbly authoratitive new work provides a comprehensive A-Z guide to some 1000 years of Western music. It explores in detail the lives and achievements of a vast range of composers, as well as looking at such key topics as music history (from medieval plainchant to contemporary minimalism), performers, theory and jargon. Throught Griffiths skilfully blends lightly worn scholarship with personal insight, whether examining the emotional colouring that different musical keys achieve or charting the rise and development of the symphony.

A unique reference book on music incorporating terms and references from both the traditions in Indian classical musicýthe Carnatic and the Hindustani. The Penguin Book of Indian Classical Music, the first of its kind, provides definitions of musical terms and descriptions of the traditions and styles that constitute the rich musical heritage of India. From the primary enunciation of a raga as ýaaý, the unstructured, emotionally inspired musical rendering, to the Urdu term ýzamzamaý that refers to the back and forth movement of a note, the dictionary defines the A to Z in Indian classical music. Comparison between the two systems in terms of ragas and the use of notes is facilitated by cross-references. And Raghava Menonýs introduction provides a perceptive insight into what constitutes Indian classical music, both in emotive and technical terms. Complete with photographs of the major instruments used in the two traditions as well as those of some of the all-time great musicians in Indian classical music, the volume is intended to be a valuable reference book for the virtuoso and the lay person aspiring for a greater understanding of Indian music.

This invaluable resource has remained the best and most successful guide to classical music for over 30 years. Fully revised (and digitally remastered) by its team of eminent authors and full of its trademark wit and passion, this Penguin Guide offers reviews of all the latest releases as well as the finest established recordings. Now published annually for the first time and revised for the download generation, this book is essential reading for all classical music fans.

This invaluable resource has remained the best and most successful guide to classical music for over 30 years. Fully revised (and digitally remastered) by its team of eminent authors and full of its trademark wit and passion, this Penguin Guide offers reviews of all the latest releases as well as the finest established recordings. Now published annually for the first time and revised for the download generation, this book is essential reading for all classical music fans.

INDEPENDENT BOOKS OF THE YEAR This completely new edition of the Penguin Guide reviews the 1000 best classical albums issued and reissued over the past five decades, many of which dominate the catalogue because of their sheer excellence, irrespective of recording dates. More comprehensive than ever before, it indicates key recordings on CD, DVD and enhanced SACD, including those in surround sound. If you want the finest available version of any major classical album you will find it listed and assessed in these pages. Ranging from long-established albums to the newest releases, the latest edition represents the cream of the international repertoire and has all the information you need to select the finest classical music available.

Looks at the lives and achievements of thousands of composers and examines key topics such as music history, theory, and jargon.

Packed with photographs, composer biographies, analyses of major works, and essential information on every musical genre, style, form, instrument, and ensemble, DK's Complete Classical Music Guide is a portable encyclopedic guide to more than one thousand years of Western classical music. From Bach to Berlioz, Glinka to Gershwin, Stravinsky to Shostakovich, and everyone in between, the Complete Classical Music Guide contains more than three hundred composer profiles, and offers a clear definition of the particular styles and characteristics of seven key eras: Early Music (1000-1600); The Baroque Era (1600-1750); The Classical Era (1750-1820); The Romantic Era (1810-1920); Romantic Opera (1810-1920); National Schools (1830-1950); and Modern Music (1900-). The Complete Classical Music Guide also includes a timeline that charts the evolution of musical styles and forms, instruments, and provides explanations of the building blocks of music — melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, form, tempo, and dynamics. Previously published as Eyewitness Companion: Classical Music, this book has been reformatted and designed and now comes packaged in an exclusive presentation slipcase.

Regarded as the standard guide to classical music on CD, the 2002/3 edition of The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs has a new wider trim size to allow for even more updates. This guide takes into account the many hundreds of new and reissued CDs that have appeared in recent years while also including all the highlights from the back catalog. Arranged by composer, the guide lists all major recordings from each work-from remastered vintage recordings to the latest releases-with evaluations of interpretation and performance by the authors, as well as assessments of recording accuracy and advice on the best buys for cost and quality. This essential reference work is designed to help select the very best recorded classical music available today.