The Oxford Dictionary of Musical Works

Book excerpt: Anyone who listens to or plays classical music often wants to put the pieces they encounter in context - to check information ranging from who wrote the piece, or the date of its first performance, to how it acquired its title, or whether it was commissioned for a specific person or occasion. General dictionaries of music only cover a limited number of musical works, and include very little detail. The new Oxford Dictionary of Musical Works provides short articles on over 1750 musical works from earliest times to the present day, providing a comprehensive but handy reference. Entries encompass a broad spectrum of genres - from opera, ballet, choral and vocal music, orchestral, chamber and instrumental pieces, to nicknamed works, collections, national anthems, hymn tunes, and traditional melodies. Each entry outlines the genre to which the piece belongs; the librettist or author of the text, including any literary source; the number of acts or movements; the scoring - includingdetails of the instrumentalists and vocalists needed to perform the piece; how it came to be commissioned; the place and date of its first performance; any subsequent arrangements or revisions; and any additional important or entertaining information.