The Chronicle of Classical Music takes the form of a chronological diary from 1600 to the present. It leads the reader through the centuries, year by year, following the musicians' overlapping and interweaving lives.

The composers' own worlds, public and private, spring to life in extracts from contemporary letters and journals, and in hundreds of illustrations, many in full color: paintings and drawings, cartoons, posters, photographs, scores, and documents. An informative introduction traces the history of music before 1600. Carefully cross-referenced with the chronological data is a series of special features that discuss in fascinating detail the key works, influences on musical form and performance, centers of musical energy, the changing working conditions and status of musicians, and the development of instruments. A companion chronology introduces the wider context of important historical and artistic events.

The reference section includes biographies, a glossary of technical words, charts summarizing the history of music and the development of instruments, and a guide to the top CDs and performers.

Here is the history of classical music presented in an entirely new way that is accessible, vivid, and multidimensional -- an essential book for all those who are interested in classical music and its composers.