Product Description

In a shift of emphasis, A History of Western Music places people making choices at the centre of the story, not as peripheral figures in the evolution of musical works and styles. Linking historical and social context directly to musical practice and styles, the book is organised around three central themes: people making choices; the tension between cultural tradition and musical innovation; and the values and tastes of producers and consumers. This edition restructures the text for greater accessibility, breaking it into small chapters within six sections; these are linked to form a single narrative thread.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #218544 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1136 pages

Customer Reviews

A good, readable overview of Western music
An excellent overview of the development of Western music from its origins in Ancient Greece to the avant garde composers of the late 20th century. In covering so much it can not possibly provide detailed information on each topic but is a good "jumping off" point to lead into more detailed work on any of the topics. This is assisted by an excellent bibliography for each section including information both on sources and details for further reading material. Essential for A-Level students and probably the same for those at degree level as a general reference.

Excellent
In my opinion, this is the best existing book on the history of western music ever published. There is a host of information, written clearly, from the ancient Greece to contemporary music. I was astonished by the quality of presentation, with continous references to recorded examples, wonderful illustrations, bits of graphs and pictures showing musical notation, etc. Not to mention the extraordinarily good, vast, reasonably-priced ancillary material. This include both online and off-line materials, and it was thanks to this book that I discovered I could download some mp3 files and also access all of Naxos music library for six months with a small additional $15. Just type "a history of western music 7e" in Google and explore what is available on the first website that comes up. If you're serious about learning the history of music, buy this book now. I can guarantee you will be happy.

Superb
I am an A Level music student in Leicester and I have found this book superb. It takes a detailed, concise look at the development of western music which is invaluable in my A level studies and it is also a great book for general interest and reading