A Concise History of Western Music

Engaging, clear and informative, this is the story of western music - of its great composers and also of its performers and listeners, of changing ideas of what music is and what it is for. Paul Griffiths shows how music has evolved through the centuries, and suggests how its evolution has mirrored developments in the human notion of time, from the eternity of heaven to the computer's microsecond. The book provides an enticing introduction for students and beginners, using the minimum of technical terms, all straightforwardly defined in the glossary. Its perspective and its insights will also make it illuminating for teachers, musicians and music lovers. Suggestions for further reading and recommended recordings are given for each of the 24 short chapters.

Author: Paul Griffiths
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 06/29/2006
Pages: 360
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.34lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.88w x 1.06d
ISBN: 9780521842945

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 04/01/2006 pg. 97
Booklist 05/15/2006 pg. 14
Reference and Research Bk News 11/01/2006 pg. 245
Christian Century 10/02/2007 pg. 43
New York Review of Books 05/15/2008 pg. 50

About the Author
Griffiths, Paul: - Paul Griffiths has written extensively on twentieth-century music, particularly on new music and the avant garde, and is one of the most influential music critics of his generation.