Encyclopedia of Music - Hardcover

Wade-Matthews, Max & Thompson Wendy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0754824438 ISBN 13: 9780754824435

Publisher: Lorenz Books, 2011

Synopsis

This title covers Musical Instruments and the art of music-making. This is a comprehensive encyclopedia of musical instruments, covering all sections of the orchestra: strings, woodwind and brass, percussion, keyboards and the voice, as well as historical, rare and non-Western instruments. This is an authoritative guide to over 100 of the most famous classical composers, from Bach to Xenakis, encompassing all styles of compositions from medieval times to the present day. It describes the fascinating lives of the great composers, the places where they lived and worked, scenes from their ballets or operas, and examples of original scripts. It is fully illustrated with over 1000 photographs and illustrations of musical instruments and composers. This comprehensive encyclopedia gives an overview of the way music has developed, beginning with ancient civilizations through to the present day. The section on music-making shows how instruments, ensembles and orchestras evolved and all the elements that co-ordinate to make them function. The book then provides an illustrative guide to the most influential composers: those who have defined or developed particular styles of composition, and who have created for themselves a significant place in music history. Over 100 composers are featured, including the pre-eminent Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, other greats such as Vivaldi, Schubert and Tchaikovsky, and modern composers such as Carter, Boulez and Stockhausen.

About this title

About the Author

Max Wade-Matthews attended the RAF School of Music at Uxbridge and served in brass bands in England, Germany and Hong Kong. During his years in the RAF, Max formed Die Lustigen Jager a "German ompah band", for which he arranged all the music. Max formed a living-history brass band, based on the bands of the American Civil War. He has written several books about the history of Leicester, including Musical Leicester, a history of musical life in that city. Wendy Thompson studied piano and violin at the Royal College of Music, London, and then musicology and French Baroque opera at King's College, London. She subsequently moved to publishing, working on the New Grove Dictionary of Music and the New Oxford Companion to Music, and was Editorial Director at Faber Music Limited from 1986-91. She has published several books, including Piano Competition: The Story of the Leeds, Mozart: A Bicentennial Tribute, titles on Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy and Tchaikovsky in the Composer's World series, and biographies of Handel and Greig.

Edition details

• Publisher: Lorenz Books
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0754824438
• ISBN 13: 9780754824435
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 512