Norton Anthology of Western Music: Classic To Twentieth Century

by Claude V. Palisca, J. Peter Burkholder

Revised and enlivened commentaries closely examine the scores to clarify their historical significance.

Genres: Music, Reference, History, Nonfiction, Textbooks

1448 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1980

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's about as extensive, meticulous, & comprehensive as can get! Every piece receives ample attention, from broad, apparent & general observations to analyses that require a firm, and fluent, understanding of western music theory. I went through both volumes in preparation for an exam (CSET, for music teachers in CA) and have taken note of the pieces that I'd like to hear in their entirety in the future. The book includes a wide span of styles. My experience with piano scores aided my reading of the large orchestral scores yet there are a dozen pieces of such bizarre notation that I found myself, upon listening, simultaneously repelled, attracted, & amazed. This is very useful for familiarizing oneself with the manner of speaking about music. It makes use of charts, schemes, lyrics & stanzas, symbols, and the like. Again, the analysis ranges from light to complex. An excellently composed tome.

[Stephen]

This is Vol. 2

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book.