Lectionary of Music - Softcover

Slonimsky, Nicholas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0385414218 ISBN 13: 9780385414210

Publisher: Anchor, 1990

Synopsis

Defines musical terms, and identifies important works, forms, and movements

About this title

Review:

From the history of Mary Had A Little Lamb to the structure and tone of the concerto grosso, Slonimsky explains musical forms, instruments, works and terms from A to Z. He describes the banjo and the belly dance, Menotti opera and Gershwin tunes, histrionic conductors and the inception of the phonograph, all with vast knowledge and likable wit. Slonimsky's writing is both informed and accessible, making his wisdom a professional gem, a novice's bible and good fun for anyone who likes to read.

From Library Journal:

This book sparkles with Slonimskian fact and fun. While students and scholars should hang on to their graver Harvard and Oxford dictionaries, all music lovers can be enlightened and amused by this "reading" lectionary. Set out from A to Z, the entries range from music terms, styles, and major concepts to opera synopses and musical trivia; fully a third are names of compositions. The musical polymath Slonimsky, who has also given us a lexicon of musical invective, treats all entries with an inimitable authority mixed with wit and telling anecdote. An occassional prejudice surfaces, as in the entry for animal voices: the "gibbon . . . has the loudest voice among primates, not excluding coloratura sopranos." Recommended, especially for public libraries.
- Steven J. Squires, Univ. of North Carolina Lib., Chapel Hill
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Anchor
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0385414218
• ISBN 13: 9780385414210
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 521