A History of Music in Western Culture [Paperback]

Mark Evan Bonds (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0131931040 | ISBN-13: 978-0131931046 | Publication Date: March 20, 2005 | Edition: 2nd

 

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

• Focuses squarely on the music, tying names, dates, and concepts to the study of a carefully selected repertory of works.
• Tells the story of Western music in a clear and compelling narrative to help students gain a broad understanding of the nature of music, its role in society, and the ways in which it has changed over time.
• Challenges readers to think critically about music using primary sources to demonstrate that the raw materials of history are often open to conflicting interpretations, and that these conflicts can open new perspectives.
• Integrates the textual narrative with the anthology of scores; every work in the anthology is discussed in the text.

SUPPORTING MATERIAL

• Anthology of Scores Volume I (ISBN 0-13-01357-X)
• Anthology of Scores Volume II (ISBN 0-13-01359-6)
• Recorded Anthology (6 Compact Disks) Volume I (0-13-01435-9)
• Recorded Anthology (6 Compact Disks) Volume II (0-13-014353-7)
• A History of Music in Western Culture Companion Website
  (http://www.prenhall.com/bonds)

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Mark Evan Bonds received a B.A. in music and German from Duke University in 1975; a master's in musicology from the Universität Kiel (West Germany) in 1977; and a Ph.D. in musicology from Harvard University in 1988. He taught at Boston University (1988-92) and Harvard University (Visiting Assistant Professor, 1991) before joining the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992. His research interests include music of the Classic and Romantic eras, particularly instrumental music and aesthetic theory. He is currently at work on a book entitled The Culture of the Symphony in the Age of Beethoven.
 

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 701 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2nd edition (March 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131931040
• ISBN-13: 978-0131931046
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2006 version, October 8, 2005

By 

Gary Galvan (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of Music in Western Culture (Hardcover)

As a general history intended for the academic market, Bonds's contribution ranks as a formidable contender with K Stolba's and Grout/Palisca's works. Visually appealing with many period paintings, illustrations and tables in color, the book also entertains with well-written text which illuminates the cultural context of developing genres.
Composer profiles and "Focus" features break up the text and provide essential insights. Particularly valuable are the "Primary Evidence" highlights which contain extensive quotes from primary resources. Five appendices include "A Guide to Selected Research Materials in Music History" and the set text for the ordinary of the mass with English translation.
Fourteen CDs and two score anthologies (available seperately) complete the perspective on occidental high art music. Nevertheless, the text stands well alone and would complement the library of anyone interested in western art music history.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Music History Book, June 24, 2007

By 

ELH (Hattiesburg, MS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of Music in Western Culture (Paperback)

This is one of the new breed of general music history texts to hit the market in the past decade. Correcting many of the errors made by the Grout and vastly more readable, this text is filled with unique side bars, charts, lists, photographs, time lines, etc. I keep one copy of this at home and one at the office along with Craig Wright and Bryan Simms' Music in Western Civilization (which is my all-time favorite music history text). If you only want to buy one book (and this is not required for a class), purchase the Wright/Simms. If you don't mind spending the extra money, I would purchase the Bonds and the Wright/Simms as a superb addition to any professional musician's library.

2.0 out of 5 stars A good overview, but won't prepare you for future music studies, January 24, 2011

By 

Music grad - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of Music in Western Culture, A (3rd Edition) (Hardcover)

I used this book for my undergrad, and it was acceptable. It has most of the information you need, and it's in an easy-to-read format. Unfortunately, this is NOT the standard for music history texts. If you are wanting to fit in with other students from other programs (and in my case, go to grad school in musicology), the Grout is absolutely necessary. The added expense of the Grout is worth it for a truly thorough study. Though the Bonds is adequate, it won't prepare you for anything other than mediocrity.