Music : General Music Reference Resources

Succinct and comprehensive guide to the history, forms, and personalities of classical music. Readers will find biographies of thousands of composers from Albinoni to Zappa, with in-depth treatment of major figures, coverage of individual works, including plot summaries of operas and ballets, articles on the history of music and instruments, entries on musical forms, from medieval plainchant to contemporary minimalism, and clear definitions of technical terms and jargon.

This classic reference work, a one-volume music dictionary, has been brought completely up to date in this new edition. Combining authoritative scholarship and lucid prose, this is an essential guide for musicians, students and everyone who appreciates music.;Long admired for its wide range as well as its reliability, "The Harvard Dictionary of Music" includes entries on all the styles and forms in Western music; comprehensive articles on the music of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East; descriptions of instruments enriched by historical background; and articles that reflect today's beat, including popular music, jazz and rock. Throughout this new edition, existing articles have been fine-tuned and new entries added so that the dictionary fully reflects current music schoalrship and recent developments in musical culture.;Encyclopedia-length articles by notable experts alternate with short entries for quick reference, including definitions and identifications of works and instruments. More than 220 drawings and 250 musical examples enhance the text making this an aid for all music lovers.