A Guide to Orchestral Music The Handbook for Non-Musicians [Paperback]

Relaxed and accessible in style, this authoritative guide is the first symphony handbook for non-musicians. The book begins with a general introduction to the symphony and short pieces on the orchestra and musical styles. Mordden goes on to describe, chronologically, over 700 pieces--from Vivaldi to twentieth-century composers. Further aids to the reader include two lists of repertory builders and a glossary of musical terms.
Easy and pleasurable to read...a genuinely useful guide for the music lover who has not had a musical education but loves concert music. --John Barkham Reviews

The text is not only easy to read, but it is enlightening on form, style, and other essentials that will stimulate the attentive reader into a better grasp of what the composer intended to express and how well he expressed it. This is a genuinely useful guide for the music lover who has not had a musical education but loves concert music. --John Barkham Reviews