The Vintage Guide to Classical Music: An Indispensable Guide for Understanding and Enjoying Classical Music

Music has been an important part of my life from the beginning. Somewhere in a dust-covered box lies a 45-RPM vinyl record of me as a 2 year-old belting out "Jesus Loves Me" at a church fair in Newburyport, Massachusetts! Beginning in the third grade, I studied violin and piano, and added organ in my junior high years. Singing has continued to be part of my life - solo work, choruses, church choirs and on stage - since my auspicious beginnings as a tuneful toddler! I took some basic courses in music appreciation as part of my liberal arts undergraduate education.So, my knowledge of classical music is probably deeper than that of most individuals who are not professional musicians. Consequently, I was amazed and delighted with how much new information I learned as I worked my way through Jan Swafford's "The Vintage Guide to Classical Music: An Indispensable Guide for Understanding and Enjoying Classical Music." Mr. Swafford is an award-winning composer and musicologist who currently lectures in English as a faculty member at Tufts University here in the Boston area.Swafford sets the tone for the book in the opening paragraph of his introduction:"Enduring works of music not only refelct their composers and their times, but have the capacity to reflect many peoples and many times. While every kind of music is intended to be heard, some is meant to be reheard and re-created in new performances, to grow in meaning, to become part of our lives and our culture, to represent the best we've done. In societies both Western and Eastern, these qualities define a body of music that is called 'classical.'"This very helpful tome is actually comprised of several books in one. At one level it is a chronological history of classical music. At another level, it is a compendium of mini-biographies of close to one hundred significant composers. Each biography ends with suggestions regarding which compositions by this composer would serve as the best introduction to his work. The book also contains a comprehensive glossary of musical terms, and offers a practical guide to building a classical music library. This volume is a portable treasure chest of fascinating and useful information for any lover of music - or for anyone who wants to learn more about, and better appreciate, good music. It has already made a difference in the way that I listen to music - my own CD's and WCRB, Boston's local classical FM station (102.5 on your FM dial!)Before reading this book, I had little exposure to, or appreciation of, American composer Charles Ives. Swafford has managed the whet my appetite for Ives' music, and I plan to add some of Ives' compositions to my personal collection. I also found fascinating the relationships and interconnections among many of the 19th century European composers. For example, the complex relationships among Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Schumann's wife, Clara, are the stuff of soap opera.For Swafford, this book was clearly a labor of love. He does a masterful job of harmonizing his passion for music with his erudition and broad knowledge of the full spectrum of classical music - from the Renaissance up to recent times.I can't think of a single music lover I know who would not find something of value and delight in this book.Enjoy!Al

If you are looking for a single book to introduce you to the great classical composers, this is the one. The book is arranged historically and takes the reader from medieval music through the twentieth century. The author writes in an engaging, opinionated, and often humorous style which kept me interested throughout. One of the best features of the book is the short biography of each composer. Swafford does a great job of bringing these musical geniuses to life, warts and all. Forget any preconceived notions you have about stuffy historical figures. These guys were quirky, colorful, and very human. Many of them were so vividly portrayed I could imagine a screenplay being written about their lives. For each composer, he describes their key musical contributions with recommendations for listening. I added his recommendations to my Spotify account so I was able to listen to each work as I read the book. It was like taking a fun course in classical music (without the tests). There were only a couple of things to quibble about with the book. First, I am a lifelong classical music lover but I do not read music, so some of the more technical sections on music theory were a bit hard for me to follow. There is however, a glossary in the back which was quite helpful with this. Second (and I know this is a matter of my personal taste), a great deal of time is spent on atonal composers of the 20th century, a style of music I find (with a few exceptions) to range from unpleasant to unlistenable, while Johann Strauss is mentioned in passing in a single sentence. Again, these are quibbles reflecting my own background and tastes. Overall, this is an excellent book which I highly recommend.

I bought my first copy of this book back in 1993. As a young adult and wanting to expand my musical horizons by listening to and learning about classical music back then, this was one of the first books I purchased that provided biographical details along with information on their best known works. It also provided descriptions of musical terms and brief histories of the various eras of composition. It is written to educate and enhance the reader's enjoyment of the music and, at least in my case, direct the reader to expand and explore beyond what is just between the covers. I read my first copy in a few days and my then Boxer puppy chewed it up shortly thereafter when I carelessly left it out on the coffee table and he apparently needed a chew toy. As is my custom, the new found fervor for classical music waned a bit--I went on the jazz for awhile and still listened to my classic rock--but returned again a couple years ago. During my initial phase of zeal in the early 90s at the height of the cd boom, most box sets and double disc sets were beyond what I could afford. Classical discs always seemed to be priced slightly higher than other genres and that included single discs from the major label. My newly regained zeal coupled with the much lower cost of the cds prodded me into wanting to re-read what I may have forgotten and even what didn't fit my tastes back then. So I found this book again, ordered a new copy, and read cover to cover in a few days making notes of other composers and works I'd have to check out online and maybe purchase in the future. So yes, I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone with an interest in and love for the great composers and their masterworks.