From the romantic agonies of Hector Berlioz to the lonely labours of Anton Bruckner, and from the cosmopolitan triumphs of George Frideric Handel to the politically fraught career of Dmitri Shostakovich in the Soviet Union, the lives of the great composers are as varied and multifaceted as the works of creative genius they produced. Writing with verve and passion, broadcaster and writer Jeremy Nicholas presents, in chronological order, elegant, informative and often affectionate biographical profiles of 50 of the greatest composers in the history of classical music. The biographies not only describe the life, artistic development and creative output of each composer, but also set the composers and their works in a broader historical and cultural context. Furthermore, shortlists of 'must-hear' masterpieces for each composer give the reader all the information they need to begin to build a brilliant classical music collection. Taken together, the 50 profiles in The Great Composers amount to a concise history of 500 years of classical music. Accessible and entertaining, but also informative and authoritative, this is the perfect introduction to the world of classical music for the general reader.

(Piano Solo). Based on the original edition and its reprints. With added editorial fingering and pedaling, editorial notes, an article on the life and works of de Falla, and more.

Why do we feel the need to perform music in a historically informed style? Is this need related to wider cultural concerns? In this challenging study, John Butt sums up recent debates on the nature of the early music movement, calling upon a seemingly inexhaustible fund of ideas gleaned from historical musicology, analytic philosophy, literary theory, historiography and theories of modernism and postmodernism. He develops the critical views of both supporters and detractors, claiming ultimately that it has more intellectual and artistic potential than its detractors may have assumed.

(Boosey & Hawkes Chamber Music). Medium voice, cello, violin, and piano

(MGB). Ten intermediate-level pieces by modern Italian composers. Includes works by Busoni, Casella, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Petrassi, Respighi, Rota, and others. With a detailed introduction and notes on each piece.

(Misc). This ultimate reference on the works of Dmitri Shostakovich presents a chronological list of works, annotated with commentary and citing available publications. There is also a systematic index of works, grouping like compositions by format (stage works, orchestral works, piano solo, etc.), an index of opus numbers, an alphabetical index of works, and an alphabetical index of key names of librettists, arrangers, translators, performers, conductors and others associated with the music of Shostakovich. Since the publication of the first edition of this catalog in 2005, a considerable number of volumes of the sccessively published DSCH Complete Edition have been issued. Of the 150 volumes planned, therefore, 33 are available. Thus it is now possible to document, for example, the early film musicto "New Babylon," Op. 18 and to "Odna," Op. 26.

Following the successful volumes of Song on Record, this 1991 book surveys all the recordings of major choral works from the Monteverdi Vespers to Britten's War Requiem. Discussion of the various interpretations on record is preceded, in each chapter, by informed criticism of the work concerned, including - where appropriate - a clarification of editions, revisions, etc. (all the many changes in Messiah are, for instance, described in detail). The coverage of recordings is exhaustive and its value is enhanced by detailed discographies, with numbers of each recording. Each contributor is an authority within his or her specialist area and, collectively, their insights and observations make the book invaluable to record collectors, music lovers and all with an interest in changing tastes and styles of musical performance.

In the introduction of his Inventions and Sinfonias, J.S. Bach set out the aim of these pieces, formulating a dual purpose: the keyboard player should, on the one hand, practice contrapuntual playing in two or three onligatory voices and develop a "cantabile" style; at the same time he should also be given an introduction to the study of composition, and learn how a piece can be developed from an invented theme (Inventio) by means of imitative techniques.

New urtext edition. Includes an appendix with the first version of movement I. Signal (1925).

(Schott). New urtext edition. Includes an appendix with the first version of movement I. Signal (1925).

Graced by more than 200 illustrations, many of them seldom seen and some never before published, this sparkling volume offers vivid portraits of the men and women who created country music, the artists whose lives and songs formed the rich tradition from which so many others have drawn inspiration. Included here are not only such major figures as Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Fiddlin' John Carson, Charlie Poole, and Gene Autry, who put country music on America's cultural map, but many fascinating lesser-known figures as well, such as Carson Robison, Otto Gray, Chris Bouchillon, Emry Arthur and dozens more, many of whose stories are told here for the first time. To map some of the winding, untraveled roads that connect today's music to its ancestors, Tony Russell draws upon new research and rare source material, such as contemporary newspaper reports and magazine articles, internet genealogy sites, and his own interviews with the musicians or their families. The result is a lively mix of colorful tales and anecdotes, priceless contemporary accounts of performances, illuminating social and historical context, and well-grounded critical judgment. The illustrations include artist photographs, record labels, song sheets, newspaper clippings, cartoons, and magazine covers, recreating the look and feel of the entire culture of country music. Each essay includes as well a playlist of recommended and currently available recordings for each artist. Finally, the paperback edition now features an extensive index.

Giacomo Puccini's La Boheme is one of the most frequently performed operas in the world. But how did it come to be so adored? In this book, author Alexandra Wilson traces La Boheme's rise to fame and demonstrates that its success grew steadily through stage performances, recordings, filmed versions and the endorsements of star singers. More recently, popular songs, film soundtracks and musicals that draw on the opera's music and themes added further to its immense cultural impact. This cultural history offers a fresh reading of a familiar work. Wilson argues that La Boheme's approach to realism and its flouting of conventions of the Italian operatic tradition made it strikingly modern for the 1890s. She explores how Puccini and his librettists engaged with gender, urban poverty and nostalgia-themes that grew out of the work's own time and continue to resonate with audiences more than 120 years later. Her analysis of the opera's depiction of Paris reveals that La Boheme was not only influenced by the romantic mythologies surrounding the city to this day but also helped shape them. Wilson's consideration of how directors have reinvented this opera for a new age completes this fascinating history of La Boheme, making it essential reading for anyone interested in this opera and the works it inspired.

(Piano). This new volume provides supplementary material to Piano Sight-Reading 1 . It utilizes an approach based on independent learning and the recognition of rhythmic and melodic patterns. A total of 175 exercises in a range of musical styles and keys including duets to encourage players to develop musicianship and to have fun playing with teachers, family or friends. Tunes are progressive with "hands together" exercises in the final section.

This book contains the first complete translation in English of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s major musical writings, complementing the well-known Tales. It offers, therefore, a long-awaited opportunity to assess the thought and influence of one of the most famous of all writers on music and the musical links with his fiction. Containing the first complete appearance in English of Kreisleriana, it reveals a masterpiece of imaginative writing whose title is familiar to musicians (from Robert Schumann’s piano cycle) and whose profound humour and irony can now be fully appreciated. This volume offers translations aiming at the greatest fidelity to Hoffmann, as well as musical accuracy in the reviews. David Charlton’s three introductory essays provide extensive information on the background to Romantic music criticism; on the origins and internal structure of Kreisleriana; and on Hoffmann and opera. A concluding essay by the late Friedrich Schnapp lists Hoffmann’s planned reviews and those mistakenly attributed to him.

(Piano). "The sound of a bell is the voice of the Buddha," says Japanese composer Atsuhiko Gondai. In this single movement work for solo piano, he intends to capture Oshikicho or "transitory tone" of an ancient Japanese bell. Advanced level.