A most informative and enjoyable reference on the history of music. (Don’t attempt to read it in bed though – it is too heavy)
5 stars out of 5 stars
Beginning with the quote by Charles Darwin “Music notes was first acquired for the sake of charming the opposite sex” (The Descent of Man, 1871), this DK book leads the reader to 8 chapters of visual history of music, starting with “Early Beginning, 60000 BCE – 500 CE” to “Global Music 1945-Present”. Each chapter begins a short summary and two pages of texts and photos chronologizing the various musical events which occurred during that period. The book ends with a section of reference, 85 pages long, containing “a wealth of information about key musical terms, instruments, and genres, and looks at the careers of some of the most important artists and composers.” Robert Ziegler, a conductor of symphonic and operatic repertoire, popular and contemporary, is listed as consultant. Ziegler also wrote the Forward. Fifteen names are listed as authors. The book weights 4.5 lbs. It is among the heaviest books I own.
There are two-page profiles of major composers and musicians. Classical music fans will be delighted to find their favorite composers featured: Vivaldi, Purcell, Bach, Haydn, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven. Schubert, Brahms, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, and Waltz King Johann Strauss are in the chapter “Nationalism and Romance”. This chapter also features Russia’s Big Five (Mikhail Glinka, Mily Balakirev, Alexander Borodin, Modest Mussorgsky, Nicolay Rimsky-Korsakov), the Northern Lights (Finland's Jean Sibelius, Norway's Edvard Grieg), as well as America’s Stephen Foster. Chapter 7, “Music in the Modern Age 1910-1945”, include Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, George Gershwin, and Louis Armstrong. In Chapter 8, “Global Music 1945-Present”, recent names appear in abundance: Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, to name just a few. In addition, true to this chapter’s title, music in many countries is introduced, including Indonesia, Portugal, India, Japan, China, African Korean. There are sections on Italian Opera and Viennese Waltz. Also described are different types of music in the United States: Hollywood Musicals, Nashville sound, Soul, Disco, Rock n’ Roll, Blues, Hip-Hop, Hawaii Island Music.
There are two-page descriptions of various types of musical instruments. In addition to the familiar ones, ancient instruments, medieval instruments, as well as instruments used in India, Africa, and Islamic countries are described. For each instrument or class of instruments, the narrative begins with the origin, then the development. Often-times a noted virtuoso playing the particular instrument is included. For example, Franz Liszt was chosen among pianists; Niccolo Paganini among violinists. Beautiful illustrations of the instruments accompany the narratives.
Before concluding, it is worth noting Plato’s quote on music: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything”. This is
one of the quotes Ziegler used in the ending of the Forward.
In conclusion, the book is a special kind of encyclopedia for music. It is, as the subtitle justifiably claims, “The definitive visual history.”
Summary of the Timelines in the Chapter on The Classical Age
Profiling Franz Schubert
Profiling Elvis Presley
An example of the two-page description of musical instruments
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