classical music books
The articles listed on this page are reviews, news items and other articles referring to books about classical music, stretching back over a quarter of a century, including academic text books, author surveys and tributes, music scores, novels, plays, symposia, travel books and writers' events.
A selection of articles about classical music books
Beautifully Articulated - Jeffrey Neil finds, in Gillian Wills' novel 'Big Music', a drama that entertains, instructs, and makes you laugh
A Worthy Captain - Peter King marks BBC presenter Petroc Trelawny's move from dawn to twilight
Classical music news - 'The C[ritic]s can Drown in their Baths' - English pianist Myra Hess is the subject of Jessica Duchen's new biography, which will be published in February 2025
Classical music news - New Releases in 2025 - Classical Music Daily is changing the way in which we pass details of new releases to our reviewers
Classical music news. Imogen Holst and John McCabe - News of a rediscovered concerto and a new book
The Bird Has Flown - Peter King says farewell to his favourite BBC Radio 3 'Saturday Breakfast' host, Elizabeth Alker
Classical music news - Clinkerstone - Michael Kearns' new novel, 'Clinkerstone', out now, has a strong musical element
Classical music news. Emerging Genius - A biographical novel tells the tale of a talented but maligned composer, plus other news
Resounding Echoes by Robert McCarney - Pluck it and See
Mozart in Italy - Mike Wheeler, in the first of several visits to this year's Buxton Festival, listens to a discussion between Jane Glover and Leah Broad
Classical music news - Gerard Schurmann Centenary Video - A new video has been published to mark the centenary of the British composer's birth
Classical music news - Weight in the Fingertips - Ukrainian-American pianist Inna Faliks' recent book tells the story of her upbringing in a Soviet state and her path to becoming a concert pianist
The Political Symphony - Jeffrey Neil asks some searching questions about classical music and protest
Classical music news - The Compleat Busoni and other delights - A book launch, first performance and signing will take place this month in Canberra, Australia
Spreading Light and Making Darkness Vanish - Luiza Catrinel Marinescu remembers her classmate, the Romanian pianist Eugen Alcalay and explores the pianist's mother's book 'Rhapsody in black and white with Leonard Bernstein'
Classical music news. The Pursuit of Musick - Some new publications and other news
Classical music news. Newsletter and October 2021 New Releases - Watch and listen to our October newsletter, and browse a large selection of new recordings, plus a book, a film and various concerts
A Thriller about a Score - Giuseppe Pennisi explores a new critical edition of Palestrina's 'Missa Papae Marcelli'
A Tale of Two Centuries - Jenna Orkin reads Emile Naoumoff's 'Chronicles With Nadia Boulanger'
Ensemble. Fierce Commitment - Gillian Moore talks about her book 'The Rite of Spring. The Music of Modernity' and then Philip Moore and Hugh Watkins play Stravinsky's 'Le Sacre du printemps', preceded by John Adams' 'Hallelujah Junction', all reviewed by Mike Wheeler
Interpretation and Aporias - Richard Meszto considers Michael Kieran Harvey's recent doctoral dissertation
Book review. A Multi-art Extravaganza - Ron Bierman reads Gillian Moore's 'The Rite of Spring, the Music of Modernity'
Classical music news. College Prep for Musicians - A new book about applying to music schools
Book review. An Elegant Publication - Mozart's Musical Diary, 1784-1791, read by Daniel Schorno
Book Review. A Real Gem - Jonathan Keates' study of Handel's 'Messiah', recommended by Gerald Fenech
Book Review. Exceptionally Well Informed - James Hamilton-Paterson's 'Sinfonia Eroica', highly recommended by Gerald Fenech
Book Review. A Work of Profound Scholarship - Andrew Parrott's 'Composers' Intentions? Lost Traditions of Musical Performance', read by Roderic Dunnett
Book review. Colourful Sketches - Robert Meyer's 'The Bottom Line', recommended by the late Howard Smith
Book review. Hugely Atmospheric - Jessica Duchen's new novel 'Ghost Variations', highly recommended by Alice McVeigh
Book review. Plenty of Surprises - Lauren E Rico's ambitious first novel 'Reverie', recommended by Ron Bierman
Common Ground - Andrew Schartmann's book 'Koji Kondo's Super Mario Bros Soundtrack' impresses Keith Bramich
Cogent and Interesting - Dennis Marks' 'The Knowledge - Opera', read by Roderic Dunnett
Objects of Prestige - Keith Bramich dips into the musical instrument collection at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art
Musical Prowess - Robert Anderson's 'Opera Nights and Nightmares', read by Gerald Fenech
Ask Alice - On Martin Wulfhorst's 'Orchestral Violinist's Companion', with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh
Impressionism and Symbolism - Debussy, by Eric Jensen, read by Robert Anderson
A Nostalgic Read - Personal memories of Liverpool's Playhouse Theatre, read by Gerald Fenech
Fresh Insights - Paul Kildea discusses work on his recent book about Britten, heard by Mike Wheeler
Authentic Portrayals - 'Aloha, Mozart' by Waimea Williams, read by Kelly Ferjutz
So Much, For So Many - R Murray Schafer's 'My Life on Earth and Elsewhere', read by A P Virag
An Invaluable Book - Gergely Hubai's 'Torn Music: Rejected film scores, a selected history', recommended by Patric Standford
A Whimsical Novel - Edmund Bealby-Wright's 'This Farewell Symphony', read by Karen Haid
Fun to Read - 'Dwynwen's Feast' by I H Smythe, read by Kelly Ferjutz
Ensemble. No Sense or Sensibility - George Balcombe dismisses Patrick Piggott's book about music in the life and writings of Jane Austen
An Ever-Active Hive - Robert Anderson examines the latest score from Acuta Music
An Eloquent Devotee - Ronald Stevenson's writings on Grainger, read by Robert Anderson
Utterly Compelling - Jon Gillock's 'Performing Messiaen's Organ Music: 66 Masterclasses', read by Tom Corfield
A Golden Treasury - Havergal Brian on European and American music, read by Patric Standford
Most Welcome - The first edition of two Elgar movements for oboe quartet, reviewed by Robert Anderson
Much Augmented - A new score of Elgar's 'Arthur', perused by Robert Anderson
CD Spotlight. Playing Rameau - Interpretations by Stephen Gutman, recommended by George Balcombe. '... not a million miles away from jazz.'
Strongly Stated and Idiosyncratic - 'Composing in Words: William Alwyn on his Art', read by Patric Standford
Truly Charming - John Sant'Ambrogio's 'The Day I Almost Destroyed the Boston Symphony, and Other Stories', read by Kelly Ferjutz
Magnificent Scholarship - Robert Hugill reads the new Cambridge Handel Encyclopaedia
A Model of Clarity - A new score of Elgar's 'Mina', appraised by Robert Anderson
A Useful Survey - Thomas May's 'The John Adams Reader', reviewed by Mike Wheeler
A Natural Aristocrat - 'Cardus - Celebrant of Beauty' by Robin Daniels, reviewed by Robert Anderson
Truly Hilarious - Jenny Setchell's book 'Organ-isms', recommended by Kelly Ferjutz
A Symbol of Peace - Howard Smith comments on Alberto Portugheis' recent publication
An Unexpected Treasure - Jeanette Hanscome talks to author Helen Martens about her new book 'Felix Mendelssohn: Out of the Depths of His Heart'
A Major Pleasure - A new study score of Elgar's 'Empire March', reviewed by Robert Anderson
Scrupulously Done - Andrew Barnett's 'Sibelius', read by Robert Anderson
A Labour of Love - John Suchet's 'The Treasures of Beethoven', read by Howard Smith
Punchy and Informative - John Bell Young's survey of the Beethoven symphonies, read by Gerald Fenech
Book Review. A Lordly Survey - Nick Strimple's 'Choral Music in the Nineteenth Century', reviewed by Robert Anderson
Much Subtlety - Peter Sutton's play 'Elgar and Alice', read by Robert Anderson
Meticulous Research - 'The Pearl' by Douglas Smith, reviewed by Robert Anderson
Museum not Morgue - 'Opera and the Morbidity of Music', read by Robert Anderson
Remarkable Scope - On Ronald Stevenson's eightieth birthday, Patric Standford reads Colin Scott-Sutherland's 'Ronald Stevenson: The Man and his Music'
Highly Readable - Paul Jackson's third book about the Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts, reviewed by Robert Hugill
An Inspiring Read - Anthony Davie reads Victor Lederer's book 'Chopin: A Listener's Guide to the Master of the Piano'
Enthusiastically Recommended - Howard Smith reads an 'owner's manual' of Sibelius orchestral works
Extremely Detailed - Daniel Felsenfeld's 'Tchaikovsky - A Listener's Guide', reviewed by Anna L Franco
Beautifully Arranged - 'Antal Doráti and the joy of making music' by Richard Chlupaty, reviewed by Anna L Franco
Ask Alice - John Attanas' recent book about Yo-Yo Ma, reviewed by Classical Music Agony Aunt Alice McVeigh
No Stone Left Unturned - A book about the business of conducting, explored by Paul Sarcich
A Real Treasure House - Dialogues with and about John Cage, reviewed by Patric Standford
An Admirable Book - Alan Riding and Leslie Dunton-Downer's companion to opera, reviewed by Robert Hugill
Deadly Wit - Michael Levin's 'Settling the Score', reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz
A Comprehensive Overview - David Hurwitz on Dvorák, recommended by Ron Bierman
Imbued with Quality - David L Nelson on Vienna, recommended by Howard Smith
Life-affirming - Steven Schick's 'The Percussionist's Art', reviewed by Paul Sarcich
Strong Narrative Flow - A new book about Monteverdi's musical dramas, reviewed by Robert Hugill
A Personal Stake - '150 Years of Opera in Chicago', reviewed by Malcolm Tattersall
Apropos 'le deluge' - A book about Shostakovich, reviewed by George Balcombe
Just Too Funny - A backstage view of the orchestra, enjoyed by Kelly Ferjutz
A Terrific Introduction - A guide to Mozart's instrumental music, recommended by Ron Bierman
Book review: Eloquent Insights - A listeners' guide to the music of Haydn, reviewed by Anna Franco
Precise and Lucid - M Owen Lee's book 'The Great Instrumental Works', enthusiastically recommended by Howard Smith
Superb Writing - Kelly Ferjutz enjoys the tale of Luciano Pavarotti's rise to fame
Ask Alice - Announcing a new book, that is and yet isn't by Classical Music Agony Aunt Alice McVeigh
Ensemble. Fascinating Fusions - Ladino music from Jewish Music Central marks the UK launch of the book 'The Sephardic Songbook', reviewed by Malcolm Miller
Recent Releases - Books, paintings and music at a writers' event, reviewed by Anna Franco
What makes a conductor? - 'Conductors in Conversation' by Jeannine Wagar, reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz
Charmingly unselfconscious - 'Some Kind of Genius: The extraordinary journey of Musical Savant Tony DeBlois', reviewed by Alice McVeigh
Ask Alice - The removal of Hwan Lee Scheitzer Jones Joubert, with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh
Useful insights - Daniel Felsenfeld's book 'Samuel Barber and Benjamin Britten. Their lives and their music', reviewed by Mike Wheeler
Ask Alice - On free plugs, guides on making music, good shows ... with Classical Music Agony Aunt Alice McVeigh
Ask Alice - More on music books, including Misha Stefanuk's 'Jazz Piano for the Young Beginner', with Classical Music Agony Aunt Alice McVeigh
Ask Alice - On the frustrated and the talented, with Classical Music Agony Aunt Alice McVeigh, plus a review of Blair Tindall's book 'Mozart in the Jungle'
Ask Alice - A review of Margaret Bartley's biography of Russian-American cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, by Classical Music Agony Aunt Alice McVeigh
Ask Alice - Alice McVeigh reviews 'The World of Music According to Starker'
Ask Alice - Renée Fleming's book 'The Inner Voice - The Making of a Singer', reviewed by Alice McVeigh
Fascinating suggestions - 'The Beethoven Violin Sonatas: History, Criticism, Performance' from the University of Illinois Press, reviewed by Robert Anderson
Alarms included - Alice McVeigh's 'Ghost Music', reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz
While the music lasts - Kelly Ferjutz enjoys Alice McVeigh's musical novel
A contrapuntal review - Gordon Rumson reads Kevin Bazzana's book about the life and art of Canadian pianist Glenn Gould, and also makes a surprise contribution of his own
Whirlwind of activity - Gordon Rumson recommends Charles Barber's book 'Lost in the Stars: The Forgotten Musical Life of Alexander Siloti'
Classical objectivity? - Peter Dale reads 'The Music of Lennox Berkeley' by Peter Dickinson
Originality and urbanity - Ilona von Dohnányi's 'Ernst von Dohnányi - A Song of Life', reviewed by Robert Anderson
Inspiring confidence - David Thompson is motivated by Barbara Nissman's book 'Bartók and the Piano'
Celestial music - Gordon Rumson explores sacred and secular in the writing of Wilfrid Mellers
Simple gifts? - David Thompson is impressed by 'Copland Connotations - Studies and Interviews'
Utopian ideals - Gordon Rumson reads Paul W Heimel's 'Oleana - The Ole Bull Colony'
No apologies - Peter Dale is impressed by Trevor Hold's new survey of 'The Second Golden Age of English Song'
Nuggets of advice - Alice McVeigh's 'All Risks Musical', read by Keith Bramich
Scholarship and originality - David Bury explains the merits of Robert Anderson's new book 'Elgar and Chivalry'
Reality or invention? - Peter Dale reads from a Liverpool University symposium on the musical work
Book review. The narrator's function - McGuire's new book about Elgar's oratorios is investigated by Robert Anderson
Music matters - Gordon Rumson reads Wilfrid Mellers' book 'Singing in the Wilderness: Music and Ecology in the Twentieth Century'
From the heart - A tribute by Peter Dale to Wilfrid Mellers, for a unique life of music and letters
Essential Cowell - Gordon Rumson reads from the American composer's selected writings 1921-1964
Golden age - Peter Dickinson reviews two books on American music
Editorial musings with Basil Ramsey - Book search
Sing English Song - A Practical Approach to the Language and the Repertoire. Stephen Varcoe's book is reviewed by Roderic Dunnett
Brave New World - Bill Newman reads 'Eric Leinsdorf on Music'
Separating fact from fiction - Mike Harth reads Peter Dickinson's book 'Marigold: The Music of Billy Mayerl'
The Mini-master - Wilfrid Mellers reviews a comprehensive new study of Satie
Book Review - Keith Bramich consults the 1999 European Music Directory
Book Review - Peter Dale explores James Day's Englishness in Music
Book Review - Gerald Fenech reviews Richard Osborne's HERBERT VON KARAJAN: A Life in Music
Musical Offerings - Immediate Sketches by Ed Hargrave -
Bien Cher Félix - Letters from Olivier Messiaen & Yvonne Loriod to Felix Aprahamian -