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Recommended
Books:
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 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.
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 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)
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 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.
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 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)
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