Centuries of Western classical music, from 1600 to the 2000s, presented in handsome large format perfect for any music-lover's coffee table

This book charts four centuries of Western classical music, from the Baroque era through to the end of the 20th century. The Chronology presents information on all aspects of classical music from 1600 to the 2000s, including biographies of composers, patrons, publishers, impresarios, conductors, and performers. Births, deaths, compositions, performances, and many biographical highs and lows are included to give the reader a complete and varied look at what happened, when, with a particular emphasis on the stories surrounding a piece of music's first performance.

More than just a chronology, though, this book includes narrative chapters that examine musical developments over the course of four centuries, looking at how style, genre, and location have all influenced Western classical music since its inception. Composers operate first and foremost in the day-to-day of their artistic, social, economic, and political environment, and this book aims to immerse readers in those contexts, to help music lovers more fully appreciate the history of classical music.

Monumental in scope but lucid in style, this book will prove invaluable to anyone--student, enthusiast, or newcomer--who wants to comprehend the overwhelmingly rich and sometimes complex evolution of Western classical music.