Publisher's Weekly Review
Latham, an editor of musical reference works, offers a new edition of this popular volume, which first appeared in a quite different form in 1938 and was last updated in 1983. Latham spruces up this edition with over 1,000 new entries; more than 70% of the book is essentially new material, not just about Western classical music, but also jazz, pop and dance music. Long articles are devoted to the most famous composers, while the approximately 8,000 short entries show a decided British bias there is almost as much space devoted to eccentric English composer Lord Berners as to Leonard Bernstein. There are also, perhaps inevitably, some omissions: while 20th-century German composer Boris Blacher is included, his arguably more original contemporary Wilhelm Killmayer is left out. Some readers may be frustrated with Latham's fondness for qualifying phrases, such as the observation that American composer Libby Larsen's music is "generally bold, clear, and colorful" or that the work of another Yank composer, Vincent Persichetti, "normally [keeps] some relation to tonal centres." Others may disagree with the value judgments assigned here, such as the praise of Gian Carlo Menotti's famously reviled 1970 opera, The Most Important Man in the World. Such provocative choices aside, the compendium is solidly researched, with useful biographical information and lists of suggested reading. Priced reasonably, given the book's size, this title may find its way not only into reference collections, but into the hands of music lovers who want an up-to-date browsing tome. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
The new Oxford Companion to Music updates two earlier works: the original 1938 Companion, last published in 1970, and The New Oxford Companion to Music, a two-volume set published in 1983. Its focus is classical music from the Middle Ages to the present. In the preface, editor Latham notes that "non-Western and popular musics are included, but mostly in so far as they have had an impact on the Western classical tradition." According to the jacket blurb, there are more than 1,000 (out of more than 8,000 total) new entries, and more than 70 percent of the content has been revised or rewritten. Well over 100 scholars and writers contributed to this edition. Entries, arranged alphabetically, vary in length from one or two lines (Orchestral score; Rite of Spring, The) to several pages (Copyright; Form; Handel, George Frideric; Pianoforte). Biographies (of composers, artists, etc.), instruments, well-known works, countries, societies, musical terms and types, and sociocultural aspects (Music on the Internet, Politics and music) are all covered. Nine major multipage essays on topics such as "The Baroque Era" and "Opera" are printed on a light gray background and arranged in sections. Some are new; some are repeats from the New Oxford with necessary revisions. Some entries show the British origin of the work, such as Eighth-note, defined as the American term for quaver. Tables and examples of notation are added where needed, but the photographs, portraits, and reproductions of paintings and scores found in the New Oxford have been omitted. The writing is accessible to a wide range of users, from students and professional musicians to the general reader and listener. Libraries that own Baker's Dictionary of Music (Schirmer, 1997), which is somewhat similar in scope and size, will want to purchase this as well, because each title has many unique entries. In general, although Baker's has more references to popular music, Oxford includes more scholarly and technical detail as well as bibliographic references that have been expanded from other editions. This will be a standard purchase for smaller libraries that want to update the classical music section with a reasonably priced, one-volume work.
Choice Review
Drawing on the expertise of 123 scholars, critics, editors, and writers, this volume, a drastic revision of the two previous Companions, reflects current scholarship and thinking. Despite the reduction in length from two volumes to one, it includes new articles on women musicians, topics that consider sociohistorical and cultural context, and some terms that have been borrowed from other fields. The smaller size may be the reason for its limited scope (primarily Western art music) and the elimination of portraits and photographs. The work is intended for a broad audience, professionals to general readers; hence, articles are fairly short and suitable for quick reference rather than research. Some articles include short reading lists, and all the new and revised articles are signed. The volume includes biographies, definitions, and articles on genres and forms, musical instruments, compositions with distinctive titles, and countries. A new name index at the end refers to people mentioned in the articles. Much information is packed into this 8000-article volume. A worthwhile purchase for homes or libraries. J. Tsou University of Washington
Library Journal Review
The Oxford Companion to Music is back with a deft new editor, a smart new look, and a reasonable price tag, considering the wealth of information. A member of the editorial board of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and former coeditor of the Musical Times, Latham oversees more than 150 musicians and scholars in this blending of the tenth edition (1970), edited by John Owen Ward, and the two-volume New Oxford Companion to Music (1983), edited by Denis Arnold. The writing team, which includes original Companion author Percy Alfred Scholes (1877-1958) in selected, updated articles, has achieved what a single expert could not in today's expansive musical landscape: that is, it has provided comprehensive coverage of "Western classical music" in a single, reliable book. Among the 8000 entries are articles on composers, theorists, and some performers; instruments, forms, and terms; subjects like electronic music, individual countries, and politics and music; and some pieces (and even some famous arias). Each entry is presented in a dictionary format, with a select index of names appended and sometimes with bibliographic references. Pertinent illustrations, both linear and musical, are sparsely used. The bias is still English, but the book provides cross references to American terms and includes plenty of American composers and musical subjects. A solid reference with a grand pedigree, usefully improved for home and general library use, this is highly recommended for all public libraries. Bonnie Jo Dopp, Univ. of Maryland Libs., College Park (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.