A Concise History of Western Music

Cambridge's target audience for its new book is ""students and beginners,"" and this may explain why the book, unlike other single-volume music histories, is devoid of demonstrative score samples. It does not, however, explain the book's spotty approach, which may confuse those same beginners. After a brief mention of music in the ancient world, Griffiths jumps to the early Middle Ages in Europe, addressing the fundamental importance of music notation. From this point, Griffiths leads a tour through 1100 years of music-making, addressing simultaneous developments in many areas of Western culture, including politics, literature and mathematics. The effectiveness of this approach becomes questionable as the volume enters the Baroque era, when the number of composers and the variety of styles expand rapidly. Though the text is filled with Griffith's typically excellent, thought-provoking observations-he's written for The New Yorker and The New York Times-his writing from this point meanders, like a casual conversation. One can learn about trends and ground-breaking works here, but trying to get a picture of Schoenberg's career and development, for instance, is difficult. The method also leads to some chapter misnomers: the author's discussions of Verdi, Bizet and 19th-century Russian Nationalists are in the chapter, ""New Germans and Old Vienna."" For these reasons, the volume will be more useful to seasoned readers than to novices. A glossary is welcome and helpful, as is a list of recommended readings and recordings.