cover image The Billboard Encyclopedia of Classical Music

The Billboard Encyclopedia of Classical Music

Vladimir Ashkenazy. Billboard Books, $29.95 (448pp) ISBN 978-0-8230-7644-4

It may seem odd that Billboard, whose name is synonymous with pop music hits, would sponsor an encyclopedia on a musical form that rarely hits the charts. But this accessible guide, rather than trying to compete with more academic references published by Oxford or Harvard, focuses on serious music listeners of all stripes, regardless of whether they are classical music connoisseurs. The book is helpfully organized by period--Medieval, Renaissance, Classical, etc.--and includes information on composers and music styles, as well as on the terms and instruments relevant to each. And, in keeping with Billboard's populist concerns, the editors have included sidebars that discuss the""popular melodies"" of well-known composers. In his foreword, Ashkenazy (who has been a conductor for the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) recognizes that this volume reaches for an extensive audience.""Without being too unnecessarily scientific,"" he writes,""the book combines depth of insight with a high degree of accessibility, which is achieved without being trivial or condescending."" And in all these ambitions, the book succeeds.