Concert Guide
Last updated: 17.12.19
Printed: 1973 Author: Gerhart von Westerman
Publisher: Sphere Books Ltd ISBN: 0 7221 9003 4
Copyright: Thames & Hudson 1963    
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Publishers blurb: This guide to the concertos, oratorios and symphonies of two and a half centuries is written for those who have little or no musical training but want to know more about the music music they hear. Free from the clichés of the programme note, it describes and comments on the important works of all the major composers - and many minor ones - from J.S. Bach and Handel, via Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, to such moderns as Hindemith and Schonberg. Additional chapters explain the elements of musical form and technique, describe the instruments and their combination into an orchestra, and discuss the work and art of the conductor. Cornelius Cardew brings the book up to date with his section on modern music of the last ten years.
Personal remarks:
This book was aimed at German audiences and covers works that many British and American music lovers will probably never hear. For all that it is a well-rounded concert guide due to the contribution by Cornelius Cardew and still eminently readable even in 2003.