Dover Books on Music

This first comprehensive history of musical instruments, this book ranges from prehistoric times to the 20th century. It traverses five continents and every stage of evolution, from primitive rattles and bull-roarers to the electric organ. Author Curt Sachs, one of the world's most distinguished musicologists, combines rich scholarship with personal insight in a remarkable fusion of music, anthropology, and the fine arts. Beginning with the earliest manifestations of rhythm, Sachs explores the association of sound with primitive rites of fertility, life, death, and rebirth. He traces the evolution of folk and ritual instruments to tools of entertainment and art, the rise of a professional class of singers and musicians, and the musical revolution that flowered during the Renaissance. Sachs chronicles the foundation of the modern orchestra during the baroque period and its subsequent development, concluding with the modern-day rise of electric and jazz instruments. A pleasure to read as well as a valuable resource, this classic work is enhanced with 24 plates and 167 illustrations.

Part biography, part criticism, and part analysis, this fascinating study of one of music's greatest geniuses is above all an authoritative commentary on the entire corpus of Debussy's work for solo piano. Written with special insights for the performer. Includes 21 illustrations.

Fifty first-rate musical compositions document the development of musical style from the early Middle Ages to the Middle of the 18th century. Among the selections are a Gregorian hymn, an English lute piece, operatic arias, instrumental and vocal motets, a French ballad, as well as works by Vivaldi, Telemann, Pergolesi, Scarlatti, Buxtehude, and other masters. Commentary evaluates style, form and historical setting, and complete compositions or sections of compositions are supplied when possible.

An accomplished composer, pianist, writer, and teacher presents an easy and entertaining guide for players at all levels of expertise. Ernst Bacon offers valuable tips on working, listening, and playing habits in five sections that cover "The Performer," "The Learner," "The Player and Writer," "The Observer," and "Technically Speaking." This edition features an informative Introduction by virtuoso pianist and professor Sara Davis Buechner.

Virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt was a key figure in the evolution of modern music. Most of his 700 compositions, which range from romantic impressionism to daring experimental pieces, were written for the piano. This survey by a well-known British composer and musicologist constitutes the most authoritative English-language study of Liszt's works. "Mr. Searle is himself a composer of progressive outlook and he thus speaks with authority. His book was needed and he has made it a good one," observed the Times (London) Literary Supplement. This classic study surveys the compositions in chronological order and the medium for which they were written. The author examines in detail the most important pieces and fully reviews Liszt's place in history. Subjects include romantic pieces, symphonic poems, songs, symphonies, and other works. A biographical summary illustrates the relationship between significant works and events in the composer's life. Acclaimed by Library Journal as "a balanced, long-overdue treatment," this study is essential for every true Lisztian student.

Two of opera's greatest names offer encouragement and useful advice to aspiring singers in this classic guide. Tenor Enrico Caruso and coloratura soprano Luisa Tetrazzini employ nontechnical terms to provide an informal vocalist's anatomy, with instructions for the proper training, care, and disposition of the tongue, lungs, diaphragm, mouth, and the voice itself. Tetrazzini deals with the foundations of singing in breath control; tone emission and attack; and, sending aspiring performers to the mirror, facial expression and dress. Caruso remarks on tone production; such faults as the "white voice" and "goat voice"; the necessity of good diction; the role of diet; and the part superstition plays in certain singers' performances. These consummate artists show great charm and presence as writers, and this little book is a great pleasure to read.

The distinguished physicist describes the scientific principles of musical sound in a precise, non-technical way that will engage both amateur and serious musicians. Topics include development of human hearing, general properties of sound curves, transmission and reproduction of sound curves, methods of producing sound, and harmony and discord. Includes 75 illustrations.

Written during Tchaikovsky's years as professor at the renowned Moscow Conservatory, this volume presents a clear and thorough introduction to the study of harmony. The great Russian composer expounded upon his views of music while he was in the full flower of his creative powers, offering students a chance to learn the discipline's fundamentals from one of its great masters. Out of print for decades and exceedingly rare in its original edition, Tchaikovsky's Guide to the Practical Study of Harmony possesses an intrinsic historical interest, yet remains as useful and instructive today as it was a century ago. A complete course in writing music, this excellent manual features numerous examples and exercises. It functions equally well as a classroom text, an adjunct to private instruction, or as a guide to individual musicians.

In addition to his genius as a composer, Schumann was a gifted critic who wrote perceptive essays, articles, and reviews for his influential musical journal, Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik. Written from 1834 to 1844, these 61 pieces include evaluations of Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, and other giants. Articles appear in chronological order with ample annotations.

Hard-to-find book documents principles and techniques of legendary piano teacher, who taught Paderewski, Schnabel, many other greats. Clear, easy-to-follow text, profusely illustrated with music examples and photographs of hand positions. Includes finger exercises, scales, octaves, chords, arpeggios, dynamics, the pedal, many other topics.

Textbook with simple drills and exercises familiarizes readers with the various signs, symbols and units of rhythmic notation in every possible combination through the quarter-part of the beat. With studies for playing and singing, many musical examples, sections on basic conducting technique, sight-singing and musical notation.

Hailed in his lifetime as Beethoven's successor and a powerful symbol of musical classicism, Johannes Brahms was nonetheless a controversial figure in a world infatuated with the bold new directions taken by Wagner and Liszt. Today Brahms' stature is unassailable, and his works remain staples of the repertoire in each of the many genres in which he composed. This engaging survey of Brahms' music covers his major orchestral, choral, and piano music, culminating in a discussion of the ever-popular German Requiem. Author John Bell Young, a concert pianist and music critic, offers an astute commentary on many facets of the composer's life, including the attitudes of Brahms' contemporaries and his complex romantic relationships. Readers will find this volume an accessible guide to the great composer's compelling music, placed within the context of his era and environment.

The modern flute owes its invention to the author of this 1871 musicology classic. It details the instrument's acoustics, explains techniques for establishing proportions, keying, fingering, care and repair, and bass flute in G. Includes insights on development of tone, exercises, and methods of practicing and interpretation. 50 illustrations.

With Rubinstein considered Liszt's only possible rival on the concert stage, and Carreño as the foremost woman pianist of the late nineteenth century, it is an unexpected gift that both have left behind insights into that supremely important - but grossly neglected - aspect of performance called "the soul of the piano": the art of piano pedaling. Their treatment of pedaling is of the utmost importance, not only from a historical standpoint, but for what it can still teach even the most sophisticated player. Rubinstein's pedaling technique is explored using specific examples from a vast repertoire of works he performed in 1885-6. Carreño's observations - written in a warm, non-academic style - explore her sensitivity to the most subtle keyboard colorings made possible through combinations of touch and pedal.

Authoritative, beautifully written guide presents 231 of the most frequently performed pieces of chamber music by 55 composers. For each, the author gives a brief biography, followed by discussions of the individual compositions - both their historical and musical contexts and their salient features, including formal organization, content, and any extramusical associations. Preface. Glossary.

Written by an immensely important musicologist, this rare 1860 monograph analyzes Paganini's compositions and provides a fascinating history of the violin. Author François-Joseph Fétis also offers firsthand accounts of the violin virtuoso's playing, personal habits, and social behavior that form a colorful portrait of a legendary musician and a valuable historical resource.