Masterworks of 20th-Century Music
Subtitle: The  Modern  Repertory  of the Symphony  Orchestra
Publisher: Routledge
Published: August 23, 2002
Language: eng
Number of pages: 464
ISBN-13: 9780415938464
First sentence: It is entirely appropriate, as well as alphabetically fortuitous, that a descriptive exploration of orchestral music flourishing in America at the close of the 20th century begins with the music of a composer who has done at least as much as any other to bring late-20th-century developments in modern music into the American concert hall.
Description: "Masterworks of 20th-Century Music introduces over 100 of the greatest compositions by world composers that have entered the standard orchestral repertory. The author surveyed dozens of major American orchestras to find which pieces are commonly performed, and has focused on these works that an average audience member is most likely to hear.

Among the popular pieces profiled are Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring; Gustav Holst's The Planets; Igor Stravinsky's Le sacre du printemps; Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915; George Gershwin's An American in Paris; Charles Ives's Three Places in New England; and many more. With each entry is given a wealth of information about: the composer, when and where the piece was first performed, in what "style" it was composed, and a basic analysis of the music.

This book serves the general reader interested in 20th-century music, plus students, teachers, and scholars."--BOOK JACKET.