Lectionary of Music, The [Paperback]

Nicholas Slonimsky (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From the history of Mary Had A Little Lamb to the structure and tone of the concerto grosso, Slonimsky explains musical forms, instruments, works and terms from A to Z. He describes the banjo and the belly dance, Menotti opera and Gershwin tunes, histrionic conductors and the inception of the phonograph, all with vast knowledge and likable wit. Slonimsky's writing is both informed and accessible, making his wisdom a professional gem, a novice's bible and good fun for anyone who likes to read. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This book sparkles with Slonimskian fact and fun. While students and scholars should hang on to their graver Harvard and Oxford dictionaries, all music lovers can be enlightened and amused by this "reading" lectionary. Set out from A to Z, the entries range from music terms, styles, and major concepts to opera synopses and musical trivia; fully a third are names of compositions. The musical polymath Slonimsky, who has also given us a lexicon of musical invective, treats all entries with an inimitable authority mixed with wit and telling anecdote. An occassional prejudice surfaces, as in the entry for animal voices: the "gibbon . . . has the loudest voice among primates, not excluding coloratura sopranos." Recommended, especially for public libraries.
- Steven J. Squires, Univ. of North Carolina Lib., Chapel Hill
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 521 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (August 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385414218
• ISBN-13: 978-0385414210
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,259,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and brilliant, April 12, 2010

By 

MikeInOhio (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lectionary of Music, The (Paperback)

Like Slonimsky himself, Lectionary of Music is witty, idiosyncratic, and sometimes brilliant. It is designed to be read for fun, not as a serious reference. Still, it is informative and a reminder of one of the twentieth century's least-known major musical influences.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, with some caveats, June 16, 2003

By 

Kai Christiansen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lectionary of Music, The (Paperback)

There is no question that Slonimsky's Lectionary is an educated, entertaining and astonishingly encyclopedic resource worthy of repeated samplings. It is full of fascinating trivia, juicy invective, idiosyncratic perspectives and potent conversation starters. But as one of the editorial reviews cautions: keep your Harvard or Oxford dictionary around. It is not necessarily a reference.

Slonimsky appears to have a profound grasp of "classical music", though he is uneven. See the write-up on "fugue" and, if you are knowledge in the subject, you will likely find it wanting and even, in places, misinformed. Surprising, given the importance of the subject. But Slonimsky really shows his biases in any of his several entries on American musical genres. Read any of the following and you will find misconception, error, a dismissive attitude and a lack of sophistication, exposure and understanding: blues, jazz, bluegrass, pop, ragtime, and even, despite the editorial review, banjo. This is not a case of humorous invective: it is a case of erroneous glibness. The entries should quite simply be removed from the book.

Perhaps no one would expect to find detailed and revealing entries for these topics in Slonimsky's books. But why are they even included? Worse, it casts suspicions on other entries that stray from the classics (e.g. world musics). In the end, it suggests that his apparently encyclopedic output is in fact too good to be true. But I would be the first to admit that his book got me thinking enough to respond. Fun and informative, but at times, mis-informative. In the end, I would not consider it a reference.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars correction of previous review by same author, December 11, 2003

By 

Kai Christiansen (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lectionary of Music (Hardcover)

I was curious to see if my own slightly negative but objective, fair and even balanced review would be displayed by Amazon. Happily, it is (see above). However, the caveat about my review applying to a previous or no longer available version of the book is NOT true. In fact, there is no way for the editors to know what version I have. Indeed, it is the very same version currently available from Amazon (521 pages, 1989). This seems like a mistake that ought to be corrected, or it is a dishonest way to disclaim my criticism. I would challenge others to refute my claims. I will also think less of Amazon if this is followup is not posted or my original review corrected by removing the erroneous note from the editors.