Trying to Learn More about Composers, their styles, their works etc

[dave b]

I have Classical Music 101 and a couple of other helpful guides, such as the top 100 recommended works, but wonder if there is a book that deals with composers and their works, the major composers.
As I mentioned, I have not posted in some time, but when I did, before, I learned more from your responses than all the books I had previously read. Thank you.

[Diletante]

If you're interested in knowing about the lives the major composers, Harold Schonberg's "The Lives of the Great Composers" (Amazon link) is a great choice. You won't get lists of the composers' most important works (it's not a listening guide after all) but a number of them will be mentioned in the text.

You won't only learn from this book, but it's also an amazingly entertaining read. I couldn't put it down!  

EDIT: I should probably mention that the book not only talks about the LIVES of the composers (Beethoven was born in year xxxx, he composed his fifth in xxxx, he went deaf in xxxx, he was a curmudgeon, etc.) but it also gives an overview of the development of classical music. The chapters are laid out chronologically, so you can see (and ideally hear) the music evolving as you read. And by the way, you don't need to know how to read music or any music theory.  

[Gurn Blanston]

I have Classical Music 101 and a couple of other helpful guides, such as the top 100 recommended works, but wonder if there is a book that deals with composers and their works, the major composers.
As I mentioned, I have not posted in some time, but when I did, before, I learned more from your responses than all the books I had previously read. Thank you.

Dave,
Maybe you can give us some expansion on "deals with". Is it, like, listing them? Analyzing them? Something in between? For example, MY interest is putting the works into historical context, so books I know would lean a bit towards that and avoid analysis.



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Listening to:
La Petite Bande / Sigiswald Kuijken - Hob 02 20 Divertimento in F 3rd mvmt - Adagio

[DavidW]

When I was getting into classical music, I found Ted Libby's  NPR book was a guide for not only suggesting recordings but writing a little bit about each composer, and what's so special about their works.  I thought it was helpful.

[DavidW]

Oh another one is free-- http://www.classical.net/ has bios for any composer of significance, start with the basic repertoire.  At the end they have a short list of works to check out, and stars by the must hear ones.

[Opus106]

How 'bout the His Life and Music series from Naxos?

Caveat: I have not read any of these books, but I if must base my opinion on the one book I read on Classical era music, these should serve you well.


Edit: I forgot to post the link. Sorry. http://www.naxos.com/naxosbooks/naxosbooks.asp

[Dana]

If you're interested in knowing about the lives the major composers, Harold Schonberg's "The Lives of the Great Composers" (Amazon link) is a great choice. You won't get lists of the composers' most important works (it's not a listening guide after all) but a number of them will be mentioned in the text.

Seconded! Schonberg's book is a fun and informative read!

[71 dB]

I have Classical Music 101 and a couple of other helpful guides, such as the top 100 recommended works, but wonder if there is a book that deals with composers and their works, the major composers.

A warning: Those "guides" may brainwash readers and limit their interest to historically recognized composers/works. Find out yourself which composers are major to you. That's much more interesting and intellectually rewarding than ingesting spoon-fed "knowledge". Selling guides is a business. Nothing more.

[The new erato]

Selling guides is a business helping people avoid getting stuck in Dittersdorf.

While I agree there's much to explore (and my playlist is pretty explorative), you quite rightly should get a grounding in the majors first. The majors are major for a reason, and without a ground plan you should not venture into the byways.

I have a "Rough Guide to Opera" that's very fine (and deals with the "majors" as well as stuff like Martinu and Adams), if other guides in their series  is just as fine, I would give them a glance.

[Harry]

I started my classical life at the age of sweet seventeen, playing the complete works of Chopin, over and over again, from there on the Brahms Symphonies came in sight, played by Abbado, and then Beethoven's Symphonies as played by Karajan. Never read a book about composers, but dived headlong into every direction, and so build my music collection, but read the booklets carefully. By the age of 30 I bought the complete Groves music encyclopedia, and read most of the stuff in there. I can live on that for the rest of my life.
Take or leave a few recordings, this road has served me well.

[Harry]

Selling guides is a business helping people avoid getting stuck in Dittersdorf.

While I agree there's much to explore (and my playlist is pretty explorative), you quite rightly should get a grounding in the majors first. The majors are major for a reason, and without a ground plan you should not venture into the byways.

I have a "Rough Guide to Opera" that's very fine (and deals with the "majors" as well as stuff like Martinu and Adams), if other guides in their series  is just as fine, I would give them a glance.

O well, getting stuck for a while with Dittersdorf, is no punishment to me you know! Eventually everyone moves on, but with pleasant thoughts about this not so minor composer.

[71 dB]

Selling guides is a business helping people avoid getting stuck in Dittersdorf.

Well, it's the other way around. One can get stuck with Mozart if brainwashed but a free mind doesn't easily get stuck.

While I agree there's much to explore (and my playlist is pretty explorative), you quite rightly should get a grounding in the majors first. The majors are major for a reason, and without a ground plan you should not venture into the byways.

Yes, majors are majors for a reason but it's not easy to define the absolute group of them. Is it 20 composers? 30? 50? Listening to Dittersdorf makes one understand better why Haydn and Mozart are majors (and of course, Dittersdorf's music is very lovely and enjoyable too!). 

[Grazioso]

The BBC's Discovering Music series, with its informative audio lectures:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tn54

Michael Steinberg's books, such as:



David Hurwitz's books, such as:

[hildegard]

If you're interested in knowing about the lives the major composers, Harold Schonberg's "The Lives of the Great Composers" (Amazon link) is a great choice. You won't get lists of the composers' most important works (it's not a listening guide after all) but a number of them will be mentioned in the text.

Schonberg's is the most valued book in my collection on classical music. A close second is David Dubal's The Essential Canon of Classical Music. Schonberg's and Dubal's styles are very different, so the books are a good complement.

[hornteacher]

All the above books are marvelous.  There's also Phil Goulding's book which is packed full of information presented in a rather entertaining way.  Its great for people who like lists, rankings, and charts.

http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Music-Phil-G-Goulding/dp/0449910423/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255921753&sr=8-2

[Dana]

Well, it's the other way around. One can get stuck with Mozart if brainwashed but a free mind doesn't easily get stuck.

I very much disagree - I've been stuck on Brahms for years, and happily so