This classic reference work, the best one-volume music dictionary available, has been brought completely up to date in this new edition. Combining authoritative scholarship and lucid, lively prose, the Fourth Edition of The Harvard Dictionary of Music is the essential guide for musicians, students, and everyone who appreciates music. The Harvard Dictionary of Music has long been admired for its wide range as well as its reliability. This treasure trove includes entries on all the styles and forms in Western music; comprehensive articles on the music of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Near East; descriptions of instruments enriched by historical background; and articles that reflect today’s beat, including popular music, jazz, and rock. Throughout this Fourth Edition, existing articles have been fine-tuned and new entries added so that the dictionary fully reflects current music scholarship and recent developments in musical culture. Encyclopedia-length articles by notable experts alternate with short entries for quick reference, including definitions and identifications of works and instruments. More than 220 drawings and 250 musical examples enhance the text. This is an invaluable book that no music lover can afford to be without.

Contains nearly 1000 pages of precise and accessible information on all musical subjects.

Gives biographical information for over 2,000 composers, as well as entries on compositions, instruments, and terms.

Revised edition of Harvard dictionary of music.

Noted lexicographer Thomsett here dissects more than 1,400 terms, a buttula to zither, with clarity and precision; 383 high quality original illustrations render concepts that make verbal explanation difficult. Fully cross referenced, this dictionary is an authoritative source for researchers, musicologists, professional musicians, teachers and students of music, and educated members of the public. The richly detailed and comprehensive dictionary proper is followed by a five-language glossary of instruments. An illustrated notation guide provides identification of symbols used in musical scores. The final section comprehensively covers scales, keys and chords.