Featuring thirteen essays covering different traditions, styles, and instruments, this study is written by influential players, teachers and guitar historians. Its coverage allows the guitarist to learn the analogies and differences between traditions and styles. The genres range from baroque, classical, country, blues and rock to flamenco, African and Celtic.

This survey of the string quartet by ten chamber music specialists focuses on four main areas: social and musical background to the genre's development; celebrated ensembles and their significance; and string quartet playing. It reviews aspects of contemporary and historical practice, including "mixed ensembles." Informative appendixes and a full chronology of the mainstream repertory complete this compact guide.

From Robert Johnson to Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson to John Lee Hooker, blues and gospel artists play significant roles in twentieth-century culture. This overview of these genres provides an expression of the twentieth-century black American experience. Histories are questioned; songs and lyrical imagery are analyzed; perspectives are presented from the standpoint of voice, guitar, piano, and working musician. A concluding chapter discusses the impact that the genres have had on mainstream musical culture.

Bridging the gap between scholarly and popular images of Mozart, this volume provides comprehensive coverage of all of his important works; the reception of his music since his death; the contexts which inform his work and his significance as a performer. It paints a rounded yet focused picture of one of the most revered artists of all time and enhances readers' appreciation of his extraordinary output.

This collection of specially commissioned essays on one of the most influential opera composers is divided into four parts, each exploring an important element of Rossini's work and his world. Chapters by specialists chart the course of Rossini's life and career through analysis of his reception; operatic texts and non-operatic works; and the individual works: Tancredi, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Semiramide, and Guillaume Tell.

The music of Igor Stravinsky has had a profound impact on the development of twentieth-century music. In this book, Jonathan Cross explores the technical and aesthetic legacy of Stravinsky in relation to a broad range of composers, from Varese to Andriessen, from Messiaen to Birtwistle. He also proposes a reexamination of Stravinsky's own neoclassical music and Theodor Adorno's notorious critique of Stravinsky. This book is part history, part analysis, part aesthetics, and will be of value to anyone who takes an interest in the music of our time.

Handel is recognized as one of the principal creative figures in Baroque music. In this Companion acknowledged experts on Handel make their expertise accessible to the interested general reader and music lover. All the genres in which Handel composed are considered including oratorio, chamber cantata, opera, and church music, as well as works for the keyboard and orchestra. The wide-ranging essays cover topics from Handel's composing methods to his treatment of the Italian language and matters of performance practice.

The Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet is a practical guide to the world of the clarinet. It offers students and performers a composite survey of the history and repertory of the instrument from its origins to the present day, as well as practical guidance on teaching and playing from historical performance to contemporary techniques and jazz. Informed by the experience of distinguished professional players and teachers, this book makes an essential and stimulating reference book for all clarinet enthusiasts.

This Companion is designed to provide the enquiring music lover with helpful insights into a musical style that recognizes no contradictions between the accessible and the sophisticated, between the popular and the significant.

The Cambridge Companion to the Piano is an informative and practical guide to one of the world's most popular instruments. This collection of specially commissioned essays offers an accessible introduction to the history of the piano, performance styles, and its vast repertoire. Part 1 reviews the evolution of the piano, from its earliest forms up to the most recent developments. Part 2 explores the varied repertory, up to contemporary music, with a final chapter on jazz, blues and ragtime. The Companion also contains a glossary of important terms and will be a valuable source for the piano...