Classical Music: Third Ear: The Essential Listening Companion
This excellent guide to classical music discography ranges over  the entire history of recorded sound, with 50-plus contributors  covering some 500 composers. In contrast to most guides of its  kind, headnote information (e.g., label, disc numbers,  performers, and the like) is presented in the text in summary  form only, with boldface alerting readers to particular  performers and recommended recordings. Usually, a composer entry  begins with a short assessment of the composer's work and  historical significance, followed by a discussion of the  recordings. Besides the main 1100-page composer section, editor  Morin, a contributor to several prestigious musical  publications, allotted sections to genres and  instruments/artists. The main competition to this work is The  Penguin Guide to Compact Discs, out in a new edition this year.  Both are mammoth works, but some minor composers/works in one  are not in the other (and vice versa). For certain major  composers, Penguin is superior, but in general the nod goes to  the newcomer, especially for its coverage of "genre" music not  included in Penguin (the film music of Korngold, for example, is  not mentioned in Penguin) and more complete entries on important  minor composers (such as Viotti). Ideally, libraries should own  both books to cover the classical scene fully. (The "About the  Book" section of Classical Music states that, like Penguin, it  will be updated periodically.) This fascinating and readable  survey is recommended for all libraries.Bruce R. Schueneman,  Texas A&M; Univ. Lib., KingsvilleCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.