David Ewen (1) (1907–1985)

This book is really my go-to classical music volume. It is a great resource, providing a brief biography of a number of classical composers, as well as their major works, and the themes in those works/how they came to write them. I could wish for an updated version, although I am woefully ignorant of how classical music may have progressed since its publication.

The consummate history of music in Vienna from highlighting the great eras of Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, Strauss and Brahms. This book is a thorough and elegant depiction of perhaps the greatest musical city of the the last few centuries. Highly recommended.

This was one of the books that introduced me to classical music (in my early teens). I checked it out of the local library several times and eventually bought my own copy (back when all my books fit on a single shelf).

Ewen relied rather heavily on quoting other writers. The music selected covers all the major composers and a few of the minor ones. Obviously some who were known in the 50's have now fallen into obscurity.

A good introduction, but no longer current.

Thought it's not a recent work, I'm finding this book very handy because it lists performers and general music terms as well as information on the operas themselves. Last night I went between La Traviata and Il Trovatore (I can never keep them straight) to looking up the different types of voices to Toscanini (right below Tosca) to La Scala.