Music for the Masses: Romantic Classical
-- Library Journal, 12/15/2009
[web-exclusive content, continued from print (LJ 12/09)]
PRINT RESOURCES
All Music Guide to Classical Music: The Definitive Guide to Classical Music. Hal Leonard Group. 2005. 1608p. ed. by Chris Woodstra & others. ISBN 978-0-87930-865-0. pap. $34.95.
The All Music staff train their laserlike gaze on classical music, and the result is this mammoth encyclopedia of composers, a selection guide for recordings, and a jumping-off point for further research into the genre.
Einstein, Alfred. Music in the Romantic Era: A History of Musical Thought in the 19th Century. Norton. 1947. 371p. ISBN 978-0-393-09733-7. $47.60.
This textbook is more difficult to find than a mass-market resource, but it is a well-written introduction to the romantic period of classical music, providing compelling biographies and a solid historical overview without getting bogged down in terminology.
The Gramophone Classical Music Guide 2009. Gramophone Pub. 2008. 1483p. ed. by James Jolly. ISBN 978-0-86024-952-8. pap. $34.95.
The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music 2009. Penguin Group (USA). 2008. 1602p. ed. by Ivan March & others. ISBN 978-0-14-103335-8. pap. $35.
The challenge in selecting classical music is not only in choosing the right pieces but the right recordings and performances of those pieces; these guides cut out that ambiguity, offering expert opinions and canny choices.
Tobias, Marianne Williams. Classical Music Without Fear: A Guide for General Audiences. Indiana Univ. 2003. 208p. ISBN 978-0-253-34277-5. $49.95; pap. ISBN 978-0-253-21618-2. $18.84.
Sometimes, it’s nice to have your hand held and have things explained slowly to you, and this guide is good for exactly that. It includes a vibrantly written chapter on romantic music that’s heavy on the mythmaking.
ONLINE RESOURCES
The Basic Repertoire
Local pride! My colleague, Jacksonville Public Library, FL, reference librarian Ed Lein, compiled this expansive canon of essential classical composers’ most historically significant and representative works.
Classical.net - Romantic Repertoire
An easy-to-use and thorough guide to romantic-era composers that includes a listing of the most recognized works from each. You can also click through to well-written biographies. An incredibly handy resource for all levels of familiarity.
Classical.com
Classical Music Library
Naxos Music Library
Among the most well-known online resources for libraries building classical music collections. All are subscription-only services, but the access they provide to recordings, historical information, and liner notes is well worth the cost.
