The Chronicle of Classical Music

By Alan Kendall

Book Overview

Taking the form of a chronological diary from 1600 to the present, this book leads the reader through the centuries, year by year, following the musicians' overlapping and interweaving lives.

The composers' own worlds, public and private, spring to life in extracts from contemporary letters and journals, and in hundreds of illustrations, many in full color. An informative introduction traces the history of music before 1600, and special features discuss key works, influences on musical form and performance, centers of musical energy, and changing working conditions. A companion chronology introduces the wider context of important historical and artistic events.

The reference section includes biographies, a glossary of technical words, charts summarizing the history of music and the development of orchestras, and a guide to CDs and performers.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0500282137
• ISBN13: 9780500282137
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 3.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.7" x 11.1"

Customer Reviews

Aptly Titled, Beautifully Illustrated Time Line

As the professional reviewers observe this book is extremely limited in its written material, but it does provide a good visual reference to the times that the music was written. Being a Thames and Hudson publication, it tends to focus on British performers in its recommendations of most famous singers and musicians. American performers are given short shrift. Yet I do like it for what it does provide. I got it to go with a fabulous audio class taught through the Teaching Company by Robert Greenberg on the History of Western Music. So, as a short, general, timeline survey it is an adequate, beautifully illustrated reference. For greater depth, this author is a co-editor of a four volume treatise on the subject. That, and several others are referenced in the bibliography.