"Had the Oxford University Press's four-volume 'Heritage of Music' failed in all other respects, it would still be worth the price just for the remarkable selection and vivid reproduction of the copious artwork. Happily, though, this is, on just about all counts, an impressively executed undertaking....Present[s]...its information so lucidly, informatively, effortlessly, in a fashion that can be taken piece by piece, page by page, or in mighty chunks--the choice is up to the reader--[that] we will be in a better position to monitor the future progress of the art form we have come to know as classical music."--The Christian Science Monitor"This history of Western music, lavishly presented with hundreds of color plates and illustrations, differs from the numerous single-author encyclopedic surveys in two important ways: its various chapters are independently written by 55 scholars...and stories of composers' lives are limited to the major figures...with biographical material about others consigned to short sketches at the end of each volume. This allows the authors to dwell on important compositions, placing music in its historical and social setting....A solid achievement."--Library Journal"If one follows the authors' suggestion to listen while reading, this series should be an autodidact's delight....Illustrations are magnificent and the varied page format keeps one turning them. Both public and undergraduate libraries."--ChoiceThis handsome new reference is an encyclopedic record of Western music from the Middle Ages to the present day. With a lively text and copious illustrations, each volume is a complete survey of the period it covers; together the four volumes present a history of Western music as a whole. Written by renowned musical authorities, Heritage of Music is meant for everyone who enjoys music.