The Da Capo Catalog of Classical Music Compositions exhaustively lists the works of 132 major composers, from Vivaldi and Bach to Webern and Cage. A classical music lover's dream, it is the only source containing all the essential information about classical compositions within the convenient covers of one volume. Designed for listeners, readers, collectors, and connoisseurs alike, this catalog will be as indispensable an investment as a philatelic catalog is to the postage stamp collector. This catalog will tell you at a glance: which works would complete your collection of Dvorák's string quartets; which Gershwin songs appeared in which of his shows; in which Mozart opera the aria "Il mio tesoro" appears; at what age Brahms composed his first symphony; whether Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.14 is the "Moonlight" or the "Waldstein"; and how many symphonies Borodin composed.The Da Capo Catalog of Classical Music Compositions relies on the most authoritative sources. Easy to use and difficult to put down, it will delight anyone frustrated by the inadequacy and inconsistency of existing reference works. The first book of its kind, it will undoubtedly become a well-appreciated companion on your journeys through musical history.
Fantasia for a String Quartet - a novel about search for spirituality in classical music.
A warning: The classical music establishment might find the views and opinions expressed in the book highly unconventional. Some readers might be left speechless or gasp for air in indignation. "But the truth needs to be told . . ."
The Forbidden Lectures (Kindle Edition series of 12 lectures extracted from Fantasia) offer unconventional insights into the minds of classical music composers and their music.
The Da Capo Catalog of Classical Music Compositions
- The Catalog is long out of print; however, a limited number of brand new signed paperback copies of the Catalog are available directly from the author at USD 100.00 + shipping costs. First come, first served. Please send your request by email to the author at uchwialkowski@rogers.com
How to buy the electronic rights to the Catalog ?
- Please email your inquiry to Jerzy Chwialkowski at uchwialkowski@rogers.com
In popular music or jazz, listeners look for an artist (or band) and his/her recordings; in classical music, for a composer and his/her compositions. On-demand music providers ignore the difference and offer classical music in the same way they do popular music or jazz - with a focus on the recordings and not on compositions.
The classical music selection process
Classical music needs to be offered through its own catalog, so that classical music lovers would be able to browse and see where a particular composition fits into the oeuvre of the composer, and explore whether or not there are any other compositions in the same genre by this composer, or whether they were composed before or after this one, etc.
Instead, classical music lovers are offered lists of recordings organized by particular recording labels. These do not offer the browsing experience suitable for choosing classical music to listen to.
The browsing experience :
"I am browsing through the catalog of classical music displayed on my computer while listening to compositions. I can see all the works, genre by genre, ever composed by the composer I am interested in. I compare dates of different compositions. I calculate the age of composers at the time of composing. I see what they composed before and after. I see more complex works broken down into their component parts. I see literary sources of vocal works. I see who else set to music a particular piece of poetry besides, say, Schubert . . I feel I am enriching myself each time I browse through the Catalog. And when one composition ends, I am ready with my next selection.
Now, I would like select a particular composition displayed in the Catalog and, in the next window, see what recordings of it are available, and then choose one to listen to."
Does such a catalog for classical music lovers exist at all?
As a matter of fact, it does. I am the author of it.
The Da Capo Catalog of Classical Music Compositions
ISBN 0-306-80701-7 (paperback)
ISBN 0-306-79666-X (hardcover)
Copyright © 1996 by Jerzy Chwialkowski
Published by Da Capo Press, Inc.
The Catalog is the first in the history of classical music and the only one. It took a life time to put it together. On its 1,400 pages, the Catalog lists all compositions of 132 major composers. It includes all pertinent information about each composition, i.e. its full title, key, date, literary source, instruments, nickname, opus number, and catalog number if any. Larger compositions are broken down into their component parts. Literary sources are cross-referenced when used by more than one composer.
The way that classical music is offered by various music-on-demand services needs to be corrected. So currently, I am offering the electronic rights to the Catalog for sale to the interested providers of the classical music-on-demand service.
The Catalog is available in form of 132 Microsoft Word files, one per composer.
