The New Harvard Dictionary of Music (Harvard University Press Reference Library) [Hardcover]

Don Michael Randel (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Harvard University Press Reference Library | Publication Date: October 1986

THIS EDITION HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A NEWER 2003 EDITION

This classic reference work is simply the best one-volume music dictionary available today. Its nearly 6,000 entries, written by more than 70 top musicologists, are consistently lucid and based on recent scholarship. The New Harvard Dictionary of Music contains among its riches superb articles on music of the 20th century, including jazz, rock, and mixed media as well as twelve-tone, serial, and aleatory music; comprehensive articles on the music of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Near East; entries on all the styles and forms in Western art music; and descriptions of instruments enriched by historical background. Short entries for quick reference--definitions and identifications--alternate with encyclopedia-length articles written by experts in each field. More than 220 drawings and 250 musical examples enhance the text.

Combining authoritative scholarship with concise, lively prose, The New Harvard Dictionary of Music is the essential guide for musicians, students, and everyone who listens to music.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Surely this indispensable tool needs no introduction; the first two editions, edited by William Apel, have served the music world only too well. The present volume, prepared by 70 noted scholars under Randel's capable editorship, contains mostly new entries; the scope has been greatly expanded to include better coverage of recent music. A work for musicians, students, musicologists, and music lovers that belongs in most collections. J. Richard Belanger, United States International Univ., San Diego, Cal.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

The New Harvard Dictionary of Music is easily the most useful of all musical dictionaries because of its accuracy, concision, and ease of reference.
--Charles Rosen, author of The Romantic Generation

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 968 pages
• Publisher: Belknap Press; Sixth edition (October 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674615255
• ISBN-13: 978-0674615250
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #460,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Be Put Off By the "New", April 30, 1998

By 

Eugene G. Barnes (Dunn Loring, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Harvard Dictionary of Music (Harvard University Press Reference Library) (Hardcover)

942 pages jam-packed with information about music. If you are skittish about this rewrite of Willi Apel's classic dictionary, don't be. Yes, it does have a host of non-European entries, politically correct in this age of diversity. No, it does not overwhelm (nor does it inconvenience you in reaching) the European material you need to get your hands on quickly. Recently amazon.com raised its price for this book by a couple of dollars. Believe me, it's still an incredible bargain. Even if it weren't on sale at all, it would still be a book that any serious music student would want to own and consult frequently. I've owned the new Groves Dictionary ever since it came out, and guess what: some entries that do not appear in Groves do appear in the New Harvard Dictionary!

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Music Dictionary to own today, November 25, 2000

By 

Jeffrey D. Ball (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Harvard Dictionary of Music (Harvard University Press Reference Library) (Hardcover)

The two reviews already submitted of this dictionary range from the sublime to the ridiculous. Unfortunately the poor review also contributed a rating of one star, which is averaged with the good review to yield an overall rating of 3 stars. The effect of this is to perhaps cause a modern shopper to purchase the older edition of this work edited by Willi Apel, instead of this more up-to-date volume.

It seems that the negative reviewer is reacting to the presence in this dictionary of new entries such as "Bluegrass Music" or "Rock 'n' Roll," as if the inclusion of such entries automatically removes other entries relative to 'classical polyphony'--evidently a topic close to his heart. Polyphony is covered in the Randell edition by it's own entry and through numerous other articles such as "Counterpoint," "Palestrina style," and others. Just as a modern dictionary of English must cover the language as it is really spoken, including slang and profanity, a modern music dictionary must also cover music as it really is. A good dictionary cannot assume the ascendency of one particular type of music or musical point of view, and ignore all other trends and developments. The expanded treatment of "Blues," for example, is especially welcome. No service would be done for modern readers if common musical terms were ignored by the editors.

Both editions of this dictionary are fine references. The Apel edition served the prior generation of readers very well. The new edition by Randell builds on the strengths of its forerunner and adds much new information. At the same time, the new edition does not ignore the categories covered by the earlier edition.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding musical reference, January 26, 2001

By 

Patrick Reynolds (Clarksvile, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Harvard Dictionary of Music (Harvard University Press Reference Library) (Hardcover)

This is absolutely the finest music dictionary that I have used. It is concise in its definitions, and very useful with the information presented. Whenever I need to look just what exactly "Die Zauberflote" is, I often find myself reading on and on and on for pleasure. This is absolutely the only dictionary that I've ever found myself captivated by. I definitely recommend this fine musical reference.