The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music

The dictionary is compact and informative. Although an apter title would be "Oxford Concise Dictionary of Classical Music". I cannot find "punk'" in it.

My daughter is a music major, and I used to teach private lessons. This is a great book for a quick reference guide to theory terminology, and is a must have for anyone taking a music class of any sort, but an absolute necessity for those in music theory courses. A great, and as the name states, concise compellation of just about any term you'll ever need to know!

Music has often been described as the universal language, but the terms a musician has to read on the printed page of the score are specific words in various languages. If we only had to deal with the basic piano or forte of diminuendo or other basic terms it would not be a problem. However, there are thousands and thousands of more obscure terms that deal with performance, types of instruments (and their component parts), composers, works of various types, and so forth. That is why a well-executed hand sized book like this is so valuable. You can keep it on your piano in easy reach when you turn the page and haven't a clue what Debussy or Beethoven or some other composer left there for you to decipher. It is true that this dictionary does not have a pronunciation guide, but that is simply because these words are said differently in different places and since it has to be "concise" the choice would be to have half as many terms and pronunciations (and the problem of picking among many possible ways of saying the words) or leaving out the pronunciations and having many more terms. I am glad they picked the latter. There are a few illustrations, and they are well chosen but sparse. Highly recommended. Every musician or general lover of music is better off with this book or one like it kept nearby.

A comprehensive, well-organized volume that covers composers, compositions, periods and styles, terminology (though I must agree with another reviewer--this really needs a pronunciation guide for some of the more difficult names and terms), instruments, vocalists, cultural context, and more. Major composers get more attention, with longer bios and more detailed entries, though the entries for some of the more notable people (such as George Gershwin) come up a little short in detailing their impact and significance. I purchased this book about a year ago, when I found myself becoming more interested in classical music, and it has proven to be extremely handy in identifying major pieces, performers, and composers. A must-have for music majors and libraries (both college and public) and for individual reference, and as an added bonus, is a godsend for those of us who do crossword puzzles.

As the maintainer of the Classical Archives, I use this reference every single day. Its contents has been most judiciously selected to permit searches on composers, musical forms, terms, instruments, orchestras and performers. Each composer's entry offers a work-list which provides an excellent perspective. An invaluable tool indeed.