All Music Guide to Classical Music: The Definitive Guide to Classical Music (All Music Guide Required Listening)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 1632 pages
• Published by: Backbeat Books September 1, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0879308656
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0879308650
• Book Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.7 x 2.6 inches
• Weighs: 4.8 pounds

Product Description
This is the definitive source for composers, compositions, and genres. The book contains over 500 composer and 800 performer biographies. Each artist entry includes vital statistics and album recommendations. The book covers thousands of compositions, including operas, symphonies, concertos, and ballets, and it includes 23 essays devoted to classical music's major eras, forms, and genres. Choral works, songs, keyboard works, chamber music, and film scores receive dedicated sections. Includes 4,000 descriptions of composers' works and 12,000 recordings recommended by All Music Guide editors.

Reader Reviews
This giant, 5 lb, small-print guide is not exactly a book you nestle down with in your reading chair. Let the buyer beware: if you are a person who cannot or does not like to read really, really FINE PRINT, then this guide is probably not for you. It has by far the tiniest print I have seen in a book - even smaller than the "Third Ear Guide to Classical Music" if you are familiar with that one. In my first look at this monster-of-a-guide, I could not get beyond this tiny print and the overly-plain visual layout. But, with another long look, the value of this unique guide started to stand out clearly. There is a reason for such tiny print - to cram in an unbelievably vast amount of information in one volume. The All Music Guide is enormously ambitious in what is contains: o BIOGRAPHIES of over 500 composers AND 800 performers (unprecidented in one volume) o Fairly detailed PROGRAM NOTES for an impressively large number of works (not just the major ones) o Listings of 2-6 RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS for each work (but no comparison or explanations of the choices like Penguin) o ESSAYS on the major musical periods and forms (difficult to read these longer sections with the tiny font size!) The amount and level of detail of the program notes is impressive - giving musical history, perspective and minor analysis for not only a given category of work (say, Mozart's 27 piano concertos) but also most or all of the individual works! These essays are not unlike those found in a CD liner notes. So, with this guide, you can look up the background and musical insights of Mozart's concerto #20 as well as see what recordings/astists are recommended for that one concerto. The only other guide that does this is Penguin Guide. So, now can you appreciate why this book has such tiny print and weighs a ton? But, as enormous as this guide is, don't expect EVERY composition to be listed. For instance, under "Beethoven" there is ample discussion about the string quartets, there is little text or recordings for the ten violin sonatas and early string trios. Another valuable aspect for many will be the biographies of the great past and present PERFORMERS. This volume contains fairly detailed highlights of each artist career (2-4 paragraphs) AND a listing of their finest recordings for performers like Argerich, Grumiaux, Perlman, Perahia, Rubinstein, Horowitz, Galloway, Holzinger, Bain and so on. (But some of your personal favorites may not be there - like Rachel Podger and Pamela Frank for me). However, I found the performer biographies a bit dry with not enough juicy details about their lives, styles and sometimes quirky sides to make it really compelling and interesting. (tip: one of the best books for fascinating personal stories on the great pianists is David Dubal's book, "The Art of the Piano"). Also, keep in mind that the AMG is NOT a CD/DVD guide as it only LISTS a few recommended recordings and does not compare/contrast/explain them (like Penguin, Third Ear, or Gramophone Guides). But, then again the title says "Guide to Classical Music" and not "Guide to CD's DVD's" like the others. So, its a different animal. But, I thought the AMG's focused recommendations were up-to-date and reliable overall, giving a good range of historic, modern, and budget choices. All-in-all, a valuable addition if you already have Penguin, Gramophone and Third Ear Guides to Classical Music. Comment | | (Report this)