|
Recommended
Books:
|
 The
Oxford Dictionary of Music by Michael
Kennedy, Joyce Bourne (Editor)
When
The Oxford Dictionary of Music first appeared,
it was hailed as "without question the
most comprehensive, detailed, reliable one-volume
reference work on music now available in the
English language" (Music and Musicians).
Extensively revised and expanded, the second
edition features over 900 entirely new entries,
and many more descriptions of U.S. composers
and performers than in the original work. Now
with over 12,000 total entries, the dictionary
remains the most comprehensive one-volume reference
work available, offering a wealth of information
on music and musicians from the Middle Ages
to the present.
As
in the past, the dictionary's coverage is exceptional,
spanning musical topics of all kinds. Arranged
alphabetically and laid out in an attractive
two-column format, the entries cover over 2,000
composers of all nationalities, from Ludwig
van Beethoven to Stravinsky and Strauss (including
extensive, up-to-date lists of their principal
works); almost 1,800 entries on performers in
all fields, from Beverly Sills, to Paul McCartney,
to Vaclav Nijinsky; over 450 entries on conductors;
over 2,200 definitions of musical terms and
forms, such as "intonation," "reggae,"
and "partimento"; over 550 descriptions
of musical instruments; entries on leading orchestras
and music academies around the world; and information
on critics, journalists, and other writers on
music.
Written
to appeal to general readers as well as musicians
and musicologists, The Oxford Dictionary of
Music is an indispensable addition to the reference
shelf of the concert goer, the opera buff, the
record buyer, or anyone involved in music, whether
amateur or professional.
|
 The
New Grove Dictionary of Jazz by Barry
Kernfeld (Editor)
Available
for the first time in one volume, the more than
4,500 articles in this comprehensive dictionary
include items on performers, styles, instruments,
terminology, and famous festivals, clubs, and
record labels.
"This
is a book every jazz musician and jazz fan should
own. There is amusing trivia: How many people
know that drum brushes were originally marketed
as fly swatters? There are transcriptions of
arrangements as well as of improvised solos.
And of course there are biographical essays.
The book is serious and scholarly and deep yet
easily readable and entertaining." -- Anonymous
Review (Amazon.com)
|
 Folk
and Blues: The Encyclopedia by Irwin
Stambler, Lyndon Stambler
Folk
and blues remains vibrant and alive today and
has been enjoying a new boom as audiences rediscover
such blues performers as Robert Johnson, John
Lee Hooker, and Bessie Smith, and folk artists
like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan.
The excitement and impact of decades of these
musical forms is the focus of this extensively
revised and updated third edition of Folk
& Blues: The Encyclopedia, which covers
a spectrum of artists from the pioneers at the
turn of the twentieth century to the stars of
today: Keb' Mo', Altan, the Chieftains, Ani
DiFranco, Ry Cooder, Sarah McLachlan, Wilco,
John Prine, and Los Lobos, to name a few. Folk
& Blues: The Encyclopedia contains:
- Interviews
with many of today's top artists.
- Extensive
awards information from the Grammies, the
Folk Alliance, and the Blues Foundation.
- Scores
of photos of the most important folk and blues
artists of the 20th century.
- The
first comprehensive index of folk and blues
music.
Unlike
any other book currently on the market, this
book covers America's rich roots music, pioneered
by African Americans and European immigrants,
which has influenced almost every facet of today's
popular music around the globe. This encyclopedia
provides insight into why folk and blues are
distinct fields of their own but interact in
many ways to provide important additions to
America's musical heritage. This is a unique
and highly readable reference that belongs on
the desks of music critics and music lovers
everywhere.
|
 Essential
Dictionary of Music Notation : The Most Practical
and Concise Source for Music Notation (The Essential
Dictionary Series)
by Tom Gerou, Linda Lusk
This
is a handy little book, including many specifics
on music notation, well worth the price. While
it may not include everything on notation, its
convenient format allows quick answers to many
questions regarding formal music notation. I
am using it in post-grad composition studies
as a quick reference. I'd advise it for all
music majors, and anyone with an interest in
music writing. -- Anonymous Review (Amazon.com)
|
|
|
