Alfred The Complete Classical Music Guide Book

Packed with photographs, composer biographies, analyses of major works, and essential information on every musical genre, style, form, instrument, and ensemble, The Complete Classical Music Guide is a portable encyclopedic guide to more than 1,000 years of Western classical music. From Bach to Berlioz, Glinka to Gershwin, Stravinsky to Shostakovich, and everyone in between, the Complete Classical Music Guide contains more than three hundred composer profiles, and offers a clear definition of the particular styles and characteristics of seven key eras: Early Music (1000-1600); The Baroque Era (1600-1750); The Classical Era (1750-1820); The Romantic Era (1810-1920); Romantic Opera (1810-1920); National Schools (1830- 1950); and Modern Music (1900-).

The Complete Classical Music Guide also includes a timeline that charts the evolution of musical styles and forms, instruments, and provides explanations of the building blocks of music — melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, form, tempo, and dynamics.