The Da Capo Catalog of Classical Music Compositions (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

The Da Capo Catalog Of Classical Music Compositions exhaustively lists the works of 132 major composers, from Vivaldi and Bach to Webern and Cage. The Da Capo Catalog Of Classical Music Compositions is a classical music lover's dream reference book. It is the only source containing all the essential information about classical compositions within the convenient covers of a single volume. The Da Capo Catalog Of Classical Music Compositions is designed to be "user friendly" for listeners, readers, collectors, and connoisseurs alike. The Da Capo Catalog Of Classical Music Compositions will show at a glance which works would complete a collection of Mozart's serenades or Dvorak's string quartets. The Da Capo Catalog Of Classical Music Compositions relies on authoritative sources (many of which are available only in the language of the composer), is easy to use and hard to put down. The Da Capo Catalog Of Classical Music Compositions will prove to be a vital component of any personal, academic or community library classical music reference shelf! -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

The "Da Capo Catalogue of Classical Music Compositions" comprehensively lists the works of 132 major composers, from Vivaldi and Bach to Webern and Cage. A classical music lover's reference, it contains all the essential information about classical compositions within the convenient covers of one volume. This catalogue is designed for listeners, readers, collectors and connoisseurs alike. The catalogue can tell the reader at a glance: which works would complete a collection of Dvorak's string quartets; which Gershwin songs appeared in which of his shows; in which Mozart opera the aria "Il Mio Tesoro" appears; at what age Brahms composed his first symphony; whether Beethoven's Piano Sonata No 14 is the "Moonlight" or the "Waldstein"; and how many symphonies Borodin composed.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1399 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030679666X
• ISBN-13: 978-0306796661
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 2.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,283,642 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must have" for classical music lovers., July 14, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Da Capo Catalog Of Classical Music Compositions (Paperback)

The complete works of 132 composers in 1 volume! Comprehensive in scope, yet concise in presentation; "The De Capo Catalog of Music Compositions" documents the voluminous output of Bach, Beethoven, et al. The arrangement by composer is very logical, with operas and orchestral works generally listed first followed by chamber music and smaller pieces. Even unfinished and "lost" compositions are listed for the sake of continuity and completeness. I recommend this catalog to musicians, recording collectors, classical radio announcers and the reference section of any public library.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Checklist for Collectors, April 15, 2003

By	Steven Davis (Rowlett, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Da Capo Catalog Of Classical Music Compositions (Paperback)

The Da Capo Catalog is a massive list of classical music pieces, organized by composer and type (operas, symphonies, instrumental pieces, songs, etc.) Aside from being a useful checklist for CD collectors, it also helps sort through the ambiguity and confusion in the naming of some classical works. For example, Mozart's "String Quartet No. 17 in B-flat Major," his "4th Haydn Quartet," his "Hunt Quartet," and his "String Quartet K458" are all different names and designations for the same piece of music, as you can easily see from the clear and concise entry in the Catalog.

The Catalog also identifies works of questionable attribution, revisions, transcriptions, adaptations, and exerpts. Personally I could have done with a bit less of the latter (there are some 70+ pages, for example, listing just arias and other exerpts from Handel's operas and oratorios). Instead, I would rather see included a few more modern composers such as Elliott Carter and Toru Takemitsu. But others will no doubt find the listing of exerpts to be of great value.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Reference, July 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Da Capo Catalog Of Classical Music Compositions (Paperback)

This volume provides an encyclopedic reference of musical compositions that is sure to be useful to the professional as well as to those amateurs like me who enjoy collecting and listening to concert music. A little overwhelming to the novice perhaps, but invaluable none the less. I have never before seen a reference that listed the individual arias in an opera. One quible. The earliest composer cataloged is Monteverdi. As a lover of Renaissance music, I missed Byrd, Palestrina, Josquin Desprez and others in that period. No doubt the material from those earlier eras poses research challenges beyond the scope of the project but the book feels a little incomplete without them.