Classical music
by By Stanley, John
Category: Music , Genres & Styles , Classical

Quite an attractive, thoughtfully prepared, useful reference which begins with an introduction to instruments, orchestras, and the voice, a glossary of musical terms, and lists and commentary on master recordings. Each classical music era, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century is covered, with overviews of the political, social, scientific, artistic, and literary developments of the period, as well as biographies of major composers. For fledgling collectors, each composer's entry recommends specific works and recordings, based on ratings by  Gramophone Magazine . The numerous well-chosen color photos are varied works of art and architecture representative of the periods, portraits, stage designs and nicely printed. The text is informative and well written. 9.25x11.75" Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.