Choice Review
This second edition triples the size of the first (CH, Mar '82), and includes material through February 1987. Unaware that Cohen planned to issue his first edition, the Arts/Letters/Music Committee of the International Council of Women had undertaken a parallel effort in 1979; when Cohen's work was published, the Committee's work was offered for inclusion in a second edition. This accounts for much of the added material. The basic arrangement of the first edition is retained, but new features are added (e.g., bibliographies and a 48-page section containing 576 portraits). Among the l4 appendixes are numbered references to sources consulted (expanded from 435 to 653), the same sources listed by author and title, a bibliography for further reading, a list of composers about whom more information is solicited, another of those influenced by Shakespeare, lists by country, century, and occupation, still others by instrument played, instrument written for, and musical form. There are lists with addresses of national and international music societies, information centers, and clubs. At the end is a discography by composer with coded references to record companies with addresses and labels. An impressive and valuable reference work, well bound and easy to use. Recommended for academic libraries. -R. P. Sasscer, Catholic University of America