Customer Reviews

The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As someone who helped in the editing of this project, I am altogether loath to praise it in a commercial forum. But I really must wonder what the above foolish critique from *Publishers Weekly* is about. Talk about unprofessional skimming. Is it better to include a truly minor composer (Reynaldo Hahn) than a leading young American violinist (Hilary Hahn)? What of the reviewer's clear implication that there are no pictures of Mozart (there are several) or Salieri (there is a silhouette), or that it would be better to omit any photos from the nitwit movie (*Amadeus*) through which most laypeople recently have become misguidedly familiar with these two figures in music history?

Even if it's called an encyclopedia, it is altogether informed by one person's judgment and taste -- as if it could ever have been otherwise.

As for the "numerous" errors alleged, of which only a trivial charge concerning an omission holds up, one disputes the book's report about Mahler's departure from the Vienna Court (today State) Opera, countering that he was not fired but resigned. Alas for the skimming *PW* reviewer, Grove's explains it baldly: "... he was again forced to look elsewhere."

So you can safely ignore this particular *PW* review. Buy Libbey's work to read and decide for yourself how solid it is, how useful for you in your listening, and where you may wish to quibble, if you do.

This is a tremendous resource for anyone needing concise information about anyone involved in or any concept, however obscure, concerning classical music. The one thing missing that I think would be invaluable is a phonetic pronunciation guide. This would be particularly helpful with the composers, conductors and other musicians who are referenced. Everyone probably knows the big dogs, but the strength of this publications is the inclusion of practically everyone of note in this music field; many who are quite unknown to most of us. The pronunciation guide would be extremely helpful. Otherwise, I find this text to be a clearly superior and exhaustive resource.

I went out on a limb and bought this while deployed overseas not really knowing what to expect. I didn't get what I wanted, but turns out, got something else....and its great. This I would say (along with THE ESSENTIAL CANNON OF CLASSICAL MUSIC by Dubal) make up the two books that I think every newcomer to classical music should own to enhance their listening experience. This book will function to explain every piece of strange terminology you will ancounter on your journey (and boy are their a lot of them!) and even give you background on some pieces and composers. So listen, enjoy....and keep me updated!

"The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music" is a delightful combination reference book and video game for all classical music buffs. Besides its nearly 1,000 pages of listings, from Claudio Abbado to Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, the book gives you access to a page on the Naxos Music website which allows you to listen to more than 500 musical selections online. I just signed on to the page for the first time, and listened to the very first listed selection--John Adams' "Shaker Loops." I look forward to hours of fun with this wonderful new toy! I appreciate the breadth and depth of knowledge author Ted Libbey brings to the project, as well as his inclusion of favorites of mine who aren't necessarily well-known to today's listening public, such as the Danish tenor Aksel Schiotz. In his introduction, Libbey notes he tried to avoid the gaps and errors in such standard reference works as Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and adds, "Doubtless there will be errors still, and for these I accept full responsibility." Alas, I have already caught him in two. The first is the listing of Beethoven's birthday as December 17, 1770, when even "Peanuts'" Schroeder and Lucy know that Beethoven was born on December 16. Of course, that could have been a printer's or proofreader's error, but the second mistake is more serious--when Libbey states that Vladimir Horowitz withdrew from the concert stage in 1953 in a severe depression over the suicide of his only daughter. Actually, Horowitz's daughter, Sonia, did not commit suicide until the 1970s (which caused Horowitz a second bout of severe depression); I'm not sure exactly what caused Horowitz's 1953 breakdown, but I had always understood that an addiction to prescription drugs was at least partly to blame. Nevertheless, these are minor caveats to an otherwise enjoyable and informative volume. Any classical music lover with computer access would be happy to own it.

This book contains almost everything you could want to know about classical music, the people up to the present, the instruments, the terms, and the music itself some of which can be accessed on line through a Naxos website, It is well illustrated and engagingly written. The only drawback is that the book is hard to put down. One wants to check out just one more thing and it goes on and on. I also like that it is a paperback or its 980 pages would be too heavy to lift. I heard the author interviewed on NPR and was prepared to pay a lot of money for the book and so was blown away by the Amazon price. It is a must have reference book.

Don't get this if you are looking for an overview of music history, this is a reference book--exactly as advertised.

It comes with a login to naxos.com that allows you to listen to literally hundreds of hours of music from the naxos library for free! This is a tremendous value.

I was most impressed by the sheer amount of information--not just the historic information, even my favorite 20th and 21st century composers were given a fair amount of coverage.

Couldn't choose between the NPR ecyclopedia and the Vantage Guide so bought both. The NPR book is younger, more detailed, more information on a wider variety of artists and composers and in my opinion ; much better.

What I like about The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music is that it's small enough to fit on my home bookshelf but concise and comprehensive enough to have the information on music terms, biographical sketches of famous composers and performers--from antiquity to present.

Another plus about this book is that at the end of each biographical entry, there is a list of recommended recordings by the artist. It is a handy ready-reference book for both public and academic libraries; it is also a great gift idea for old-time classical music lovers as well as for people who begin to develop interest in classical music. For its size and price, it can be added to any home-music collection.

One small minus point, Joshua Bell is in there, but his "Romance of the Violin"--my favorite CD-- is not listed.

A good encyclopedia or a great one should consist of facts and lists. Some neccessary comments are also welcome if they serve to encourage people toward overlooked composers or neglected works. This book provides a massive guide that culminates admirable informations on all subjects related to music; definitions, composers, critics, musicians and so on.

They are, of course, often accompanied by the author's opinions. No one would have appreciated such effort more than I did when he manages, for the most parts, to shed some lights on obscured works and underrated composers.
When the author credits some fame to Johann Strauss's much underrated brother, Eduard Strauss, is one example.

However, there are a good amount of his judgements that he'd better keep to himself for they seems to aim at degrading established-standing works of art or musicians. There is no need to promote one at the expense of another, don't you agree? Let me cite you one example that I can remember;

"...a failed symphonist, he often fell short of his own ambition... Schumann's importance (in classical music as a whole) has long been overrated..." - or something along those lines.

Overrated? Surely, his flawed genius has long been recognised. Is this neccessary? Or even factual? Armies of people, I'm sure, would disagree at a notion such as this. They are even people who have tried to demystify the claim (though not unfounded, imo). But I doubt they would think this book worth the time in the first place.

If you must read it, by all means, do it. This is a very good guide pointing toward learning information on music that are rarely played or heard. But try not to share his misfortune if he can not appreciate music of good merit. Keep in mind that your own judgement should be preserved.

I hope that no potential readers were offput by the very silly and petty Publishers Weekly review. This is a very helpful and at times facinating guide to classical music and recorded music performance. Libbey's expertise and passion make for great reading. Very insightful and very helpful when searching for a good recording of a favorite piece.