The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music (Harvard University Press Reference Library) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674372999 ISBN 13: 9780674372993

Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press, 1996

Synopsis

An incomparable guide to the thousands of characters, from humble artisan to lofty genius, who people the unfolding history of music, this volume brings together all the pertinent biographical information about composers, performers, music theorists, and instrument makers from the days of praise chants to the bop and pop of today. A long-awaited companion to The Harvard Dictionary of Music, and compiled with the same meticulous scholarship and delight in detail, this biographical dictionary emphasizes classical and art music, but also gives ample attention to jazz and blues, rock and pop, and hymns and show tunes across the ages―with unusual care devoted to coverage of the twentieth century.

That the Belgian composer Jean Absil was professor of fugue at the Brussels Conservatory is a little-known fact. And few are aware that Roy Acuff began his country-and-western career in medicine shows. The writings of the seventeenth-century organist Jakob Adlung may be obscure, while Theodor Adorno’s are widely read and studied. But they can all be found in the As, along with 218 more entries, from Herb Alpert and the Andrews Sisters to Carl Friedrich Abel and Emanuel Ax. And this is only the beginning.

Here then is the information you need about 5,500 figures in the world of music―the major, the minor, the famous, the nearly forgotten, from Bach and Beethoven to Irving Berlin, Benny Goodman, and Bruce Springsteen―capsule summaries of the lives and careers behind the music enjoyed in every era. The volume is enlivened with illustrations, some revelations in themselves. A compendium that no music lover should be without, this rich volume, along with The Harvard Dictionary of Music, constitutes the standard reference work for the musically inclined, the curious, the informed, and the expert.

About this title

About the Author

Don Michael Randel, former Professor of Music at Cornell University and Professor of Music and President of the University of Chicago, is President of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Reviews

A companion to The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, this biographical dictionary was prepared under the direction of a Cornell music professor; 18 contributors are acknowledged. There are entries for about 5,500 people, primarily from Western concert/art music. Each entry begins with the subject's date and place of birth and death and a basic categorization. For example, Duke Ellington is identified as a "jazz bandleader, pianist, and composer." A paragraph or more follows, with a thumbnail sketch of education and accomplishments, often noting some works. Some articles attempt to put the subject in perspective, e.g., James Brown "was instrumental in popularizing soul (of which he is often described as the godfather)." The longer entries may include a works list and/or bibliography.

Entries vary greatly in length and treatment. The variations seem dictated by the (unsigned) writer's preference, rather than an overall plan, as does the presence of listings of works and bibliographies. Nevertheless, the information is adequate to identify and get a sense of the person. Subjects are largely from the twentieth century, and enough are from popular music (e.g., Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Harry James) to broaden usefulness. A bibliography of almost 100 works precedes the entries, some of which refer to these scholarly sources. However, citations are not limited to this list. No cross-references or pronunciations are given.

The only source comparable in scope and currency is Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (8th ed., Schirmer, 1992), with 15,000 entries, generally considered a standard. Besides the basic edition, there is a Concise Edition (1994, $50) and a Portable Baker's (1995, $20). The Concise Edition is most comparable in price and scope to the Harvard Dictionary. The articles in Baker are generally longer and the listing of works more extensive, but sources are not cited, as they are in the Harvard Dictionary, and style and content are more idiosyncratic. Although its scope, currency, and scholarship commend the reasonably priced Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music to high-school, public, and academic libraries, it is unnecessary in smaller libraries owning Baker. Comprehensive collections may want both.

Designed as a companion volume to The New Harvard Dictionary of Music (Harvard Univ., 1986), this volume primarily features brief entries on 5500 historical and contemporary composers of Western art and concert music, with some popular figures (e.g., Ray Charles) included. Compared with editor Nicolas Slonimsky's excellent Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (LJ 1/92. 8th ed.) or Michael Kennedy's Oxford Dictionary of Music (Oxford Univ., 1994. 2d ed.), HBDM comes in a weak third, with numerous contemporary performers (e.g., Eschenbach) and composers (e.g., Santos) missing. Additionally, no rationale for inclusion or omission is provided. Updating also is spotty, with many contemporary entries stopping in the early Eighties. Recommended only as a supplementary volume to the aforementioned titles for large music collections.?Anthony J. Adam, Prairie View A&M Univ. Lib., Tex.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674372999
• ISBN 13: 9780674372993
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1032
• Editor: Randel Don Michael