Customer Reviews

The Vintage Guide to Classical Music

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I spend a fair bit of time (well, perhaps *too* much time) participating in classical music discussion boards on the internet. A frequent question that arises from people new to classical music is that of a good reference book to acquaint them with the field. Generally, what these newbies ask for is, in my experience, too much to expect from a single book: typically, they are looking for both composer information (and how a particular composer fits into the canon of classical music) and recommendations for specific recordings of works of classical composers. While I have a few such books in my own library, these tend to date themselves quickly on the recommended-recordings side while remaining serviceable on the composer-description side. I have a better recommendation for those interested, which I provide in my concluding remarks. For now, I'll limit my comments to the composer-description (or, better, composer-contribution) side of the matter, and the strengths of Swafford's book.

My experience with such books goes back to Aaron Copland's 1957 "What to Listen for in Music." This classic played a large role in getting me on my own journey in classical music, but it is now quite out of date; it doesn't even touch on the most recent half-century. (William Schuman updated this book, but even that fell well short of the mark for those interested in contemporary music.)

This Swafford book is, I believe, the best of its kind for the purpose of setting out the "essential canon of classical music" and the composers (and their key works) who comprise it. To better understand why I think Swafford's book is best, perhaps I should begin with the fact that I have a few views, somewhat strongly held, regarding what such a book should contain if it is to encourage the classical music newcomer.

The first of these is that it should cover, in helpful detail, the entire tradition of western classical music from the Middle Ages to (more or less) the present day. To do less, by including less, is to downplay the role of historical development: an isolated composer, or period in music, lacks context to understand his, or its, place in the canon.

The second is that, like it or not, all composers are not equally "canonical" in the sense of being of equal importance from an historical perspective. If the writer is *too* inclusive by including a large number of composers of lesser stature, this will only serve to dilute the importance of the true "canonical" composers unless the effort is of encyclopaedic length.

The third is that temporal context, i.e., the societal and cultural milieu in which a composer has worked, is a key component to understanding what, how and why the composer has written what he (or she) has. A part of that understanding is how the composer acted within that milieu and reacted, or worked, according to the tradition and the materials available.

The fourth - and perhaps most important - is that the author's preferences and prejudices should not affect objectivity: there must be a sense of even-handedness indicating that, whether or not the author *likes* a specific composer, the composer is properly included on the merits.

With these views as a given, Swafford's book is easily the best of its kind. Swafford grasps the long arc of classical music beginning in the Middle Ages with chant (both monophony and polyphony, with worthwhile comments on Pérotin and then Machaut, the first clearly acknowledged contributors). The Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Twentieth-Century modernist periods then unfold logically as each successive period builds on its predecessor(s).

Each important composer is given approximately 8 to 12 pages for a satisfactorily detailed description of his importance and contributions, his relationship to his milieu and how he built on the tradition in place before him, and sufficient biographical information for us to see the human side of him. This is then followed by 2 or more pages that describe what his most important works were: what they are like, and why they are important. More than a few of these composer sections are inspired in their writing, with the ones on Beethoven, Berlioz, Debussy, Ives, Bartók and Stravinsky being particularly fine examples of Swafford's craft. And, while the emphasis is on instrumental and orchestral, rather than operatic, music, three primarily operatic composers (Monteverdi, Wagner and Verdi) share equal billing because the "long arc" would be incomplete without them.

Swafford's detailing of important composers ends in the 20th century with Shostakovich and Britten. But he includes briefer descriptions of many other 20th century composers (and their key works) at the end of this chapter. (He does likewise for the preceding music periods as well; no one of true historical importance is overlooked.)

The book is interspersed throughout with extended "sidebars" that discuss various classical music concepts (e.g., melody; consonance and dissonance; monophony, polyphony and homophony; sonata form; tonality and atonality) in simple terms. An afterword, "Music: An Approach to Defining the Indefinable," comes as close to an all-inclusive description of what music is, and its "ineffability," as any I've ever read. The book concludes with a summary of recommended works for building a classical library (actually, a compilation of the recommendations that Swafford had earlier made in the body of the text) and a glossary of technical terms in easily-understandable language.

Swafford's writing throughout is masterful, and he always seems to find the words that clarify, rather than obfuscate, without being didactic. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has read his superb biographies of Charles Ives and Johannes Brahms.

Since Swafford's recommendations for building a classical library don't include specific recordings (except in very rare instances for early music), I recommend that a classical music newcomer also acquire something like "The Penguin Guide to (Classical) Compact Discs." These two books, used together, should get you well on your way.

Highly recommended!

Bob Zeidler

When I first decided to learn more about classical music, this was the first book I turned to. "The Vintage Guide to Classical Music" is an excellent reference guide for those who love this genre of music but don't know a great deal about it. Using reasonably detailed and very interesting biographical essays on the major composers, author Jan Swafford gives the reader an excellent historical overview of classical music from its beginnings until the early 1990s, when this book was published. Also included are "sidebars" which explain in clear and easy to understand prose different topics such as sonata form, melody, atonal music, etc. Swafford also includes a section which explains how to begin building a classical music library. I found this especially useful in building my own classical CD collection.

"The Vintage Guide to Classical Music" is extremely well written, and obviously well researched. It's also very entertaining! The author consistently demonstrates not only a wealth of knowledge about his subject, but his love for it as well. For me, this book remains an indispensable guide to classical music. Highly recommended!

Looking for an introduction to the world of classical music, I came across this gem in the local library (um ... can we mention the library on Amazon.com?). The book was just what I was looking for, brief biographical sketches of major composers arranged in chronological order with accompanying notes on their place in the development of classical music.

The book is divided into classical music periods (Baroque, Romantic, etc.) in chronological order, with brief notes at the beginning of each period describing the times. The author then gives a brief biography for each major composer in that period, and afterward spends a few pages introducing the major works by that composer and suggesting which ones would be good to start with. At the end of the book, the author also has a good list of suggested works for building your own classical music library.

The author is very easy to read, and makes learning about classical composers and music interesting. He obviously has some opinions about composers music, but you can tell they are learned opinions, and they make the reading all the more fun.

This book is not just biographies, and not just a history of music, it is the history of classical music through the people who made that music. It is the ideal introduction to classical music, and a good book to have in your own library.

My wife selected this book a few years back when we were first becoming interested in classical music. At every step, this wonderfully written, easy to read reference gave us some new bit of information on the people who have shaped Western music. The book is a collection of delightful essays, mostly biographies of the influential composers, as well as some background on various musical topics, such as sonata form, atonal music, and the like. I have read and re-read many a section, and am always amazed at how fresh they remain. Swafford's writing is sublime; I recommend this book (as well as his other works) highly.

Are you an enthusiastic novice to classical music? Frustrated by how much there is to know and how little time you have to learn it? Like Beethoven and don't know who to listen to next? Jan Swafford's got your back!! This book is excellent.

What makes this book stand out is it's attention to the characters behind the music. To paraphrase Swafford's introduction, how can one learn about the string quartet without learning about the person of F.J. Hayden; the romantic symphony absent Beethoven's idiosyncracies? And what characters they are! Swafford dispells much of the 'tragic genius' myth of Mozart, shows us an overly sensitive (especially in love) Hector Berlioz, not to mention the silently tortured soul of Tchaikovsky. Trust me, this is going to be GOOD!!

The book is divided into chronological order of periods. The author starts off each section/period with a brief overview of it's historical context and brief biographies of some of its minor composers. Then, he goes on to the biographies, looking in detail at the lives and works of each. Swafford definitely has biases but makes them obvious as seperate from facts. He also uses quite a bit of humor e.g., "The life of ...Franz Liszt could be seen as an..illustration of the maxim, 'The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.' Expecpt that Liszt never really left the road and never quite made it to the palace." Cheesy? Perhaps! But it makes it so gosh durn fun.

The only complaint that I have is the sardonic treatment of some composers. I was especially annoyed with Swafford's repitition of how unoriginal Mozart was. In truth, Swafford is right. Mozart, though prolific, was conventional to an extreme. But Swafford reminds us over and over again; as if he enjoys tearing an icon from the pedestal. Also, though he tries to remain impartial on the experimental music of the twentieth century, his bitterness show through; especially with minimalism, wherin "ideas, which are not interesting to begin with, do not become any more interesting." Thanks to Swafford though, classical music whic IS very interesting, becomes infinitely more interesting!

I found this work both fascinating and informative. Swafford writes in an easy manner; this doesn't feel like a textbook written by some moldy professor. There are many sidebar discussions into major classical ideas (polyphony, atonality, et. al.) that prove quite enlightening. The details into the personal lives of the composers are fascinating, yet not overwhelming. This book can offer you the taste that could propel you into learning more about a composer that strikes your fancy.

As a reference tool, I have found it somewhat indispensable. I have referred to it many times either as to clear up a discussion point or as a way of deciding on what musical piece I should try to buy next. Does this include everyone? No. But it shouldn't; no one could agree on the "correct" number of composers to write about. So, while you might miss a talent here or there, you by far get more out of it than not.

Though an expert might not find it so valuable, I think this is a fine book for both the classical novice and intermediate fan.

Imagine if you had a brilliant friend who knew everything about classical music, but he or she did all the talking, and you couldn't get a word in edgewise. That's how "The Vintage Guide to Classical Music" pans out for me.

I think I've read eight or ten introductions to classical music in the last year, and Swafford is by far the author who really "delivers the goods." But this is a thick, heavy, brainy read. It's the kind of text that, if you memorized it, you could fool people into thinking you were an Harvard-trained musicologist (which I think Swafford is).

At any rate, this is a very solid, very well-done, jam-packed-with-fascinating-little-details study with a real graduate-school feel. I recommend you begin with either of two more accessible books, either Phil Golding's "Classical Music" or else David Pogue's and Scott Speck's "Classical Music for Dummies," and then move on to this one. All three are excellent, but Swafford's is by far the most advanced of the three.

Duke Ellington, classical composer?! He need not become one regardless of Jan Swafford's attempt. I throughly enjoyed the book as to its biographies, its musical analysis. My only problem is not being an Anglo-American who has to wave a cultural flag and insist that classical music composers in the US and England have to compete with say, composers in France or Italy (like sports, I guess). I was suprised not to find Granados, Albéniz nor Falla mentioned at all. Then again Swafford goes through the Renaissance without any Italian composers.

Jan Swafford's "Vintage Guide to Classical Music" packs a lot of useful information into a relatively small space. The book provides a short course in music appreciation, but doesn't dictate what one should like or listen to. Granted, the book includes recommended works for each composer discussed, but avoids a didactic tone. The text traces the history of Western music from its beginnings to the mid-20th century. Swafford is a composer, and spends a substantial porftion of the book on 20th century composers. His thesis, however, is that so much has happened since 1900, that amount of space is required to adequately discuss developments during that time. It may come to a surprise to many that one of his "composers to watch" for the 20th century is Duke Ellington, whom Swafford believes wrote music that will endure.

For a book that tackles a serious subject and provides a lot of information, the writing - and thus the reading - is smooth. Composers are discussed chronologically, which aids our understanding of how music developed and how composers learned (stole!) from each other, building on the innovations of others. I found the discussion of themes, for example tonality and atonality, very informative, although the parrallel organization of these "sidebar" sections took some orientation. Although Swafford ignored one of my favorite pieces (Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D), I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn a bit about the history of music, why we like what we like, and why (and how) music moves us.

Music has been an important part of my life from the beginning. Somewhere in a dust-covered box lies a 45-RPM vinyl record of me as a 2 year-old belting out "Jesus Loves Me" at a church fair in Newburyport, Massachusetts! Beginning in the third grade, I studied violin and piano, and added organ in my junior high years. Singing has continued to be part of my life - solo work, choruses, church choirs and on stage - since my auspicious beginnings as a tuneful toddler! I took some basic courses in music appreciation as part of my liberal arts undergraduate education.

So, my knowledge of classical music is probably deeper than that of most individuals who are not professional musicians. Consequently, I was amazed and delighted with how much new information I learned as I worked my way through Jan Swafford's "The Vintage Guide to Classical Music: An Indispensable Guide for Understanding and Enjoying Classical Music." Mr. Swafford is an award-winning composer and musicologist who currently lectures in English as a faculty member at Tufts University here in the Boston area.

Swafford sets the tone for the book in the opening paragraph of his introduction:

"Enduring works of music not only refelct their composers and their times, but have the capacity to reflect many peoples and many times. While every kind of music is intended to be heard, some is meant to be reheard and re-created in new performances, to grow in meaning, to become part of our lives and our culture, to represent the best we've done. In societies both Western and Eastern, these qualities define a body of music that is called 'classical.'"

This very helpful tome is actually comprised of several books in one. At one level it is a chronological history of classical music. At another level, it is a compendium of mini-biographies of close to one hundred significant composers. Each biography ends with suggestions regarding which compositions by this composer would serve as the best introduction to his work. The book also contains a comprehensive glossary of musical terms, and offers a practical guide to building a classical music library. This volume is a portable treasure chest of fascinating and useful information for any lover of music - or for anyone who wants to learn more about, and better appreciate, good music. It has already made a difference in the way that I listen to music - my own CD's and WCRB, Boston's local classical FM station (102.5 on your FM dial!)

Before reading this book, I had little exposure to, or appreciation of, American composer Charles Ives. Swafford has managed the whet my appetite for Ives' music, and I plan to add some of Ives' compositions to my personal collection. I also found fascinating the relationships and interconnections among many of the 19th century European composers. For example, the complex relationships among Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Schumann's wife, Clara, are the stuff of soap opera.

For Swafford, this book was clearly a labor of love. He does a masterful job of harmonizing his passion for music with his erudition and broad knowledge of the full spectrum of classical music - from the Renaissance up to recent times.

I can't think of a single music lover I know who would not find something of value and delight in this book.

Enjoy!

Al