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Cambridge Companions to Music provide clear and accessible information on composers, instruments or musical topics, written with the student, the performer and the music lover in mind. Each volume provides a carefully structured series of specially-commissioned essays by leading authorities offering comprehensive coverage and indispensable reference material as well as absorbing reading matter.

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100 results in Cambridge Companions to Music

Page 5 of 5

The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock
  • Edited by Simon Frith, Will Straw, John Street
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    16 August 2001
  • This Companion maps the world of pop and rock, pinpointing the most significant moments in its history and presenting the key issues involved in understanding popular culture's most vital art form. Expert writers chart the changing patterns in the production and consumption of popular music, the emergence of a vast industry with a turnover of billions and the rise of global stars from Elvis to Public Enemy, Nirvana to the Spice Girls. They trace the way new technologies - from the amplifier to the internet - have changed the sounds and practices of pop and they analyse the way maverick entrepreneurs have given way to multimedia corporations. In particular they focus on the controversial issues concerning race and ethnicity, politics, gender and globalisation. Contains full profiles of a selection of figures from the pop and rock world.

The Cambridge Companion to Bartók
  • Edited by Amanda Bayley
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    19 March 2001
  • This Companion is an accessible guide to Bartók's music and is an ideal introduction to the composer for students, performers and concert-goers. Part I of the book sets out the cultural, social and political background in Hungary at the beginning of the twentieth century, and considers Bartók's interest in and research into folk music. Part II surveys his compositional output in all genres, relating changes in style to broad aesthetic issues, his folk music studies, and his activities as a pianist, music editor and teacher. The final part reveals the wide variety of responses to Bartók's music in Europe and the United States, both during and after his lifetime. It includes a comparison of analytical approaches to his music and an evaluation of performances including those of the composer himself. The book is written by a team of specialists, who represent more recent thinking on the composer and his music.

The Cambridge Companion to Berlioz
  • Edited by Peter Bloom
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    24 August 2000
  • Still chiefly known as the extravagant composer of the Symphonie fantastique, Berlioz was an artist caught in the crossfire between the academic classicism of the French musical establishment and the romantic modernism of the Parisian musical scene. He was a thinker in an age that invented both the religion of art and the notion of the 'genius' who preached and practised it. This Companion contains essays by eminent scholars on Berlioz's place in nineteenth-century French cultural life, on his principal compositions (symphonies, overtures, operas, sacred works, songs), on his major writings (a delightful volume of memoires, a number of short stories, large quantities of music criticism, an orchestration treatise), on his direct and indirect encounters with other famous musicians (Gluck, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner), and on his legacy in France. The volume is framed by a detailed chronology of his life and a usefully annotated bibliography.

The Cambridge Companion to Ravel
  • Edited by Deborah Mawer
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    24 August 2000
  • This Companion provides a comprehensive introduction to the life, music and compositional aesthetic of French composer Maurice Ravel (1875–1937). Leading international scholars offer a powerful reassessment of this most private and elusive musician, examining his work in detail within its cultural context. Supported by many music examples, the volume explores the full range of Ravel's work - piano repertory, chamber works, orchestral music, ballets, songs and operas - and makes illuminating comparisons with the music of Couperin, Gounod, Chabrier and Debussy. The essays present the latest research focusing on topics such as Ravel's exoticism and Spanishness and conclude by analysing the performance and reception of his music, including previously untranslated reviews. Marking the 125th anniversary of Ravel's birth, the Companion as a whole aims to secure a solid foundation for Ravel studies in the twenty-first century and will appeal to all enthusiasts and students of his music.

The Cambridge Companion to Beethoven
  • Edited by Glenn Stanley
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    11 May 2000
  • This Companion, first published in 2000, provides a comprehensive view of Beethoven and his work. The first part of the book presents the composer as a private individual, as a professional, and at the work-place, discussing biographical problems, Beethoven's professional activities when not composing and his methods as a composer. In the heart of the book, individual chapters are devoted to all the major genres cultivated by Beethoven and to the elements of style and structure that cross all genres. The book concludes by looking at the ways that Beethoven and his music have been interpreted by performers, writers on music, and in the arts, literature, and philosophy. The essays in this volume, written by leading Beethoven specialists, maintain traditional emphases in Beethoven studies while incorporating other developments in musicology and theory.

The Cambridge Companion to Singing
  • Edited by John Potter
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    13 April 2000
  • Ranging from medieval music to Madonna and beyond, this book covers in detail the many aspects of the voice. The volume is divided into four broad areas. Popular Traditions begins with an overview of singing traditions in world music and continues with aspects of rock, rap and jazz. The Voice in the Theatre includes both opera singing from the beginnings to the present day and twentieth-century stage and screen entertainers. Choral Music and Song features a history of the art song, essential hints on singing in a larger choir, the English cathedral tradition and a history of the choral movement in the United States. The final substantial section on performance practices ranges from the voice in the Middle Ages and the interpretation of early singing treatises to contemporary vocal techniques, ensemble singing, the teaching of singing, children's choirs, and a comprehensive exposition of vocal acoustics.

The Cambridge Companion to the Cello
  • Edited by Robin Stowell
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    28 June 1999
  • This is a compact, composite and authoritative survey of the history and development of the cello and its repertory since the origins of the instrument. The volume comprises thirteen essays, written by a team of nine distinguished scholars and performers, and is intended to develop the cello's historical perspective in breadth and from every relevant angle, offering as comprehensive a coverage as possible. It focuses in particular on four principal areas: the instrument's structure, development and fundamental acoustical principles; the careers of the most distinguished cellists since the baroque era; the cello repertory (including chapters devoted to the concerto, the sonata, other solo repertory, and ensemble music); and its technique, teaching methods and relevant aspects of historical and performance practice. It is the most comprehensive book ever to be published about the instrument and provides essential information for performers, students and teachers.

The Cambridge Companion to Benjamin Britten
  • Edited by Mervyn Cooke
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    13 June 1999
  • The Cambridge Companion to Benjamin Britten is a comprehensive guide to the composer's work, aimed both at the non-specialist and music student. It sheds light on both the composer's stylistic and personal development, offering new interpretations of his operatic works and discussing his characteristic working methods. Topics treated here in detail for the first time include Britten's work in the cinema in the 1930s, his lifelong pacifism and his strong interest in the music of the Far East; other chapters include reassessments of his relationship with W. H. Auden and his attitude towards childhood, comprehensive analyses of major works and a concise history of the Aldeburgh Festival. A distinguished team of contributors include some who worked with the composer during his lifetime, as well as leading representatives of the younger generation of Britten scholars on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Cambridge Companion to Brahms
  • Edited by Michael Musgrave
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    27 May 1999
  • This Companion gives a comprehensive view of the German composer Johannes Brahms (1833–97). Twelve specially-commissioned chapters by leading scholars and musicians provide systematic coverage of the composer's life and works. Their essays represent recent research and reflect changing attitudes towards a composer whose public image has long been out-of-date. The first part of the book contains three chapters on Brahms's early life in Hamburg and on the middle and later years in Vienna. The central section considers the musical works in all genres, while the last part of the book offers personal accounts and responses from a conductor (Roger Norrington), a composer (Hugh Wood), and an editor of Brahms's original manuscripts (Robert Pascall). The volume as a whole is an important addition to Brahms scholarship and provides indispensable information for all students and enthusiasts of Brahms's music.

The Cambridge Companion to the Organ
  • Edited by Nicholas Thistlethwaite, Geoffrey Webber
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    04 March 1999
  • This Companion is an essential guide to all aspects of the organ and its music. It examines in turn the instrument, the player and the repertoire. The early chapters tell of the instrument's history and construction, identify the scientific basis of its sounds and the development of its pitch and tuning, examine the history of the organ case, and consider the current trends and conflicts within the world of organ building. Central chapters investigate the practical art of learning and playing the organ, introduce the complex area of performance practice, and outline the relationship between organ playing and the liturgy of the church. The final section explores the vast repertoire of organ music, focusing on a selection of the most important traditions.

The Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone
  • Edited by Richard Ingham
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    13 February 1999
  • The Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone, first published in 1999, tells the story of the saxophone, its history and technical development from Adolphe Sax (who invented it c. 1840) to the end of the twentieth century. It includes extensive accounts of the instrument's history in jazz, rock and classical music as well as providing practical performance guides. Discussion of the repertoire and soloists from 1850 to the present day includes accessible descriptions of contemporary techniques and trends, and moves into the electronic age with midi wind instruments. There is a discussion of the function of the saxophone in the orchestra, in 'light music' and in rock and pop studios, as well as of the saxophone quartet as an important chamber music medium. The contributors to this volume are some of the finest performers and experts on the saxophone.

The Cambridge Companion to the Piano
  • Edited by David Rowland
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    19 November 1998
  • This collection of specially commissioned essays offers an accessible introduction to the history of the piano, performance styles, and its vast repertoire. Part 1 reviews the evolution of the piano, from its earliest forms up to the most recent developments, including the acoustics of the instrument. Part 2 explores the varied repertory in its social and stylistic contexts, including contemporary music, with a final chapter on jazz, blues and ragtime. The Companion also contains a glossary of important terms and will be a valuable source for the piano performer, student and enthusiast.

The Cambridge Companion to Handel
  • Edited by Donald Burrows
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    04 December 1997
  • Handel is recognised as one of the principal creative figures in Baroque music. In this Companion acknowledged experts on Handel make their expertise accessible to the interested general reader and music lover. All the genres in which Handel composed are considered including oratorio, chamber cantata, opera, and church music, as well as works for the keyboard and orchestra. The wide-ranging, specially-commissioned essays cover topics from Handel's composing methods to his treatment of the Italian language and matters of performance practice. The background to Handel's musical career is a major theme of the volume. The opening chapters deal with his musical education in Germany and the circumstances in Italy during his time there. Most of Handel's career was based in London and important topics here include contemporary concert life and theatre management, the British and Italian musicians among whom he worked, and the librettists for the English oratorios.

The Cambridge Companion to Brass Instruments
  • Edited by Trevor Herbert, John Wallace
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    13 October 1997
  • This Companion covers many diverse aspects of brass instruments and in such detail. It provides an overview of the history of brass instruments, and their technical and musical development. Although the greatest part of the volume is devoted to the western art music tradition, with chapters covering topics from the medieval to the contemporary periods, there are important contributions on the ancient world, non-western music, vernacular and popular traditions and the rise of jazz. Despite the breadth of its narrative, the book is rich in detail, with an extensive glossary and bibliography. The editors are two of the most respected names in the world of brass performance and scholarship, and the list of contributors includes the names of many of the world's most prestigious scholars and performers on brass instruments.

The Cambridge Companion to Bach
  • Edited by John Butt
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    26 June 1997
  • The Cambridge Companion to Bach, first published in 1997, goes beyond a basic life-and-works study to provide a late twentieth-century perspective on J. S. Bach the man and composer. The book is divided into three parts. Part One is concerned with the historical context, the society, beliefs and the world-view of Bach's age. The second part discusses the music and Bach's compositional style, while Part Three considers Bach's influence and the performance and reception of his music through the succeeding generations. This Companion benefits from the insights and research of some of the most distinguished Bach scholars, and from it the reader will gain a notion of the diversity of current thought on this great composer.

The Cambridge Companion to Berg
  • Edited by Anthony Pople
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    24 April 1997
  • The world of Alban Berg is full of paradoxes, secrets and allusions, but he was able to handle emotional and moral issues at a distance and with profound sympathy. His unhurried, almost aristocratic attitude to life and his extreme self-criticism in professional matters resulted in an extraordinarily small musical output, but it includes towering masterpieces such as the operas Wozzeck and Lulu, and his last work, the Violin Concerto. All of Berg's substantial works are discussed in this Companion which brings together a team of experts who write from a variety of historical and critical perspectives, outlining the place of the music in the cultural history of its time and recontextualising it against the broader twentieth-century interplay of fashions, aesthetics and ideas.

The Cambridge Companion to Schubert
  • Edited by Christopher H. Gibbs
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    17 April 1997
  • This Companion to Schubert examines the career, music, and reception of one of the most popular yet misunderstood and elusive composers. Sixteen chapters by leading Schubert scholars make up three parts. The first seeks to situate the social, cultural, and musical climate in which Schubert lived and worked, the second surveys the scope of his musical achievement, and the third charts the course of his reception from the perceptions of his contemporaries to the assessments of posterity. Myths and legends about Schubert the man are explored critically and the full range of his musical accomplishment is examined.

The Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet
  • Edited by Colin Lawson
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    14 December 1995
  • The Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet is a practical guide to the world of the clarinet. It offers students and performers a composite survey of the history and repertoire of the instrument from its origins to the present day, as well as practical guidance on teaching and performing. Special focus is made on the various members of the extensive clarinet family and specialist chapters provide advice on the mechanics of clarinet playing, the art of historical performance, contemporary techniques, and the clarinet in jazz. A chapter on the professional clarinettist introduces the world of the performing musician, while a survey of the clarinet on record provides the listener with a useful guide to the recording history of the instrument. Informed by the experience of distinguished performers and teachers, this book makes an essential and stimulating reference book for all clarinet enthusiasts.

The Cambridge Companion to the Violin
  • Edited by Robin Stowell
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    10 December 1992
  • The Cambridge Companion to the Violin offers students, performers, and scholars a fascinating and composite survey of the history and repertory of the instrument from its origins to the present day. The volume comprises fifteen essays, written by a team of specialists, and is intended to develop the violin's historical perspective in breadth and from every relevant angle. The principal subjects discussed include the instrument's structure and development; its fundamental acoustical properties; principal exponents; technique and teaching principles; solo and ensemble repertory; pedagogical literature; traditions in folk music and jazz; and aspects of historical performing practice. The text is supported by numerous illustrations and diagrams as well as music examples, a useful appendix, glossary of technical terms, and an extensive bibliography.

The Cambridge Companion to Chopin
  • Edited by Jim Samson
  • Published online:
    28 September 2011
    Print publication:
    15 October 1992
  • The Cambridge Companion to Chopin provides the enquiring music-lover with helpful insights into a musical style which recognises no contradiction between the accessible and the sophisticated, the popular and the significant. Twelve essays by leading Chopin scholars make up three parts. Part 1 discusses the sources of Chopin's style in the music of his predecessors and the social history of the period. Part 2 profiles the mature music, and Part 3 considers the afterlife of the music - its reception, its criticism and its compositional influence in the works of subsequent composers.

Page 5 of 5