Music in Western Civilization: Media Update

by Craig Wright, Bryan R. Simms

Presenting music in its cultural context in a way that is clear and easy to understand, MUSIC IN WESTERN CIVILIZATION, MEDIA UPDATE offers detailed discussions of 224 works of music, covering all the major musical styles, genres, and composers in 83 brief yet intriguing chapters. The book places music in the context of the politics, personalities, arts, and humanities of each period of Western history. The importance of the cultural setting of many composers and genres is evidenced by such chapters as "Richard Strauss in Berlin," "Johann Sebastian Bach: Vocal Music in Leipzig," and "Music in Medieval Paris: Polyphony at Notre Dame."

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

871 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2005

About the author

Craig Milton Wright (born in 1944 in Fort Sill, Okla.) is the Henry L. and Lucy G. Moses Professor Emeritus of Music at Yale University.

He specialises in music history.

Librarian note: There are multiple authors with this name in this data base. This one is Craig^Wright.

Reviews

[Giuseppe]

This is a good music history text. There is nothing unique or particularly powerful about this book versus a nother. It is not nearly as scholarly as the Grout text on music history; the lay out is unimaginative. The documents, and pictures are perfect and it is as worthy alternative to the norton monopoly on music texts. The information is easily locatable and what it lacks in artisty it makes up in functionality. It is a nice book to own as a quick reference.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

A good starting place, broad coverage sort of textbook.