The Larousse Encyclopedia of Music

Music appeals to people everywhere and has been at the heart of all human societies. In the Stone Age society of the Australian Aborigenes and the refined artificiality of ancient imperial China, in the elegance of 18th-century Europe and the fast-moving and complex world of today, music has attended on ceremony and religion, has given entertainment and has been a source of deep inspiration.

The book tells the story of a living art. Expecting only that the reader is a music lover, and requiring a minimum of technical knowledge, it clearly presents a complex panorama of music from the most exotic to the most familiar. The reader is introduced to the living tradition of folk music throughout the wold, the strange and dascinating world of Indian musical forms and the achievements of jazz. He can trace the development of western art music from its simple beginnings in the chants of the early Church to the technical complexities of music in the electronic age. Above all, the book provides a fund of information on the great composers of the classical tradition of the West, explaining their techniques and aspirations and showing their life and work in relation to the societies in which their music flowered. From Bach to Tchaikovsky, from Beethoven to Stravinsky, the rich and brillant spectrum of European music in all its astonishing variety is described in words and pictures. Finally, the music of today, much of which is often felt to be beynd the compreehension of the ordinary listener, is outlined by a team of expert contributors who, like the editor, are interested in music not as an abstract exercise but as an essential part of human life.

Full account is taken of the technicalities of the subject, and two extensive glossaries, together with a detailed index, have been specially prepared to provide a valuable reference section, but the story is music - not only how it was made, but why it was made and how it was enjoyed.

For this edition new chapters have been commissioned not only on jazz but also on the fascinating and important constribution of American composers; on the emerging school of Australian music; and on the exciting events of recent years. The reader will also find a valuable introduction to the whole world of music and brief general guides to the major musical and historical developments in all the main periods.

The text is illustrated throughout with more than 700 pictures, many of them in full color, providing a rich commentary on the text.

Artes / História Geral