The Vintage Guide to Classical Music: An Indispensable Guide for Understanding and Enjoying Classical Music by Jan Swafford

The Vintage Guide to Classical Music: An Indispensable Guide for Understanding and Enjoying Classical Music Reviews

• 
  Paul Secor

  This is as fine an introduction to Wester classical music as I've come across, although the title is somewhat of a misnomer. The book is a guide to classical composers. The other side of the musical equation - performances - is not discussed. Jan Swafford gives his reasons for this omission and I'm ok with that. EXCEPT - at one point, he makes the statement: "some quite famous names have never made an outstanding recording." As an acquaintance of mine used to say - if you're going to throw innuendos out there, name names. I'd certainly be interested in seeing some of those names.
  
  Jan Swafford is a very good writer, and he's fair in his opinions. And, as he admits in his introduction, "Inevitably, since I have opinions, some of them lurk between the lines and a few creep into the lines." Examples - see his comments on Wagner, Terry Riley, and Phillip Glass.
  
  Recommended.
  
• 
  Michael

  I read this continuously rather than jumping around chronologically and I recommend the approach. I more clearly understood the evolution of style and instrument design in a way I had not before.
  I am not a musician and do not read music but mostly the text was approachable and useful to me.
  
  The author writes respectfully but in a simple prose that is easy to read and assimilate.
  
  Included in the book are short biographies of prominent composers, a glossary, and a recommended classical library.
  
  Recommended.
  
  
• 
  Giuseppe

  This is a fantastic book. Jan Swafford is not only intelligent but approachable. His vocabulary astounds me, and the there is nothing to say about how enriching the biographies and "side-bars" are. This book is fantastic for every level of music lover - from performer to listener to historian to veteran to novice to beginner. Jan Swafford has done something special for the world in creating undersized-easy-to-use - guide to western "classical" music from circa. 1200-1992... there are endless things to say about his book. His is also a philosopher and though his bias shine through during some of the biographies he generally retains his ranting for the epilogue, which is not a rant but a humanitarian gift of written benevolence, it is the new age passion of a peacful, understanding and progressive person. If it is possible, this book could stand alone from music, forget that the people are musician, forget that this is an art - this book The Vintage Guide to Classical Music is a great book!
• 
  Lisa (Harmonybites)

  This is one of four general guides I own to classical music. I have other books specifically on orchestral, concerto, chamber, choral and opera, but this is one that covers all the different forms. The Miller Barnes and Noble Introduction to Music goes over such things as tone, rhythm, melody, etc. The Hurwitz Beethoven or Bust goes over the various forms (the concerto, for instance) and their various types. Goulding's Classical Music concentrates on the core repertory--"The 50 Greatest Composers and Their 1,000 Greatest Works." The Vintage Guide to Classical Music focuses more on the composers than the forms, but is more eclectic and comprehensive. Goulding includes very few Medieval or Renaissance or many Modern composers--while Swafford's Vintage Guide includes biographies and naming of the important pieces to know of de Machaut, Dufay, Desprez, di Lasso, Monteverdi, Ives, Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Britten. In the back there's a useful section of a suggested classical library from Gregorian Chant to Phillip Glass.
• 
  Eric Smith

  It sounds simple enough: write a series of short essays about all the classical composers that truly matter. The result though is actually a coherent and comprehensive tour through the language of the music, the composers themselves, and the evolution of the techniques and orchestration used over the centuries - and it is FUN to read.
  
  The writing style is jaunty and descriptive and deeply reflective of the music being described. Try to describe sound, music, has got to be one of the most difficult challenges there is in writing, but Jan Swafford never waivers, the book is compelling and colorful all the way through. Picked at random, here's a typical description, "In contrast to the thunderous playing of Liszt, Chopin never used fortissimo but rather shaded his dynamics downward toward the intimate and nearly inaudible." Or how about this description of Wagner, "By the late nineteenth century he would haunt the Western cultural tradition as pervasive myth and sacred monster." You just must read on.
  
  This book also provides carefully chosen advice on which music you should start with for each composer. Within the body of the book these are detailed with Swafford’s usual colorful and concise language. At the back, an appendix summarizes his recommendations. So far this appendix has cost me several hundred dollars in happily spent purchases, with many more to come.
  
  If you are at all interested in the subject of classical music then this is a splendid gateway.
• 
  Michael

  I picked this up as my starting point into the world of classical music, and I couldn't be more pleased with my choice. I found a first favorite composer (Beethoven, quite obviously! But also Brahms and Wagner and Prokofiev), and gained some great insight into appreciating the music in general. I found myself itching for more depth into the pieces or into the process of listening to music, but rather than a detraction, I see that as a strength: Swafford got me itching to go deeper. I've picked up Grove's classic, Beethoven and his Nine Symphonies next. Definitely a step up. We'll see how it goes for music-illiterate me.
  Highest recommendation.
• 
  Barbara

  
  
  My favourite introductory guide to classical music. I love Swafford's style - high-flown, personal, inspiring, sometimes touching, sometimes snarky. The little essays on technical subjects are clear but it's the historical overview that has been really helpful to me. I've got books on most of my favourites but it's nice to have my understanding of their works reinforced and, often, expanded. I also enjoyed seeing just where other composers I know little about, like Monteverdi and Domenico Scarlatti, fitted into musical history and which of their works are the most rewarding (to buy!)
• 
  Jay Gabler

  A real pleasure to read. Because Swafford has a justified confidence that he isn't a snob, he doesn't need to engage in any knee-jerk populism when writing about this freighted subject. Writing fairly and engagingly about the relative strengths and weaknesses of several dozen individuals who are all gods among men--with fewer than 600 pages, there's no space for mere demigods--is a real achievement.
  
  My favorite two lines are from the section on twentieth-century composers:
  
  *"Based on a medieval collection of songs by wandering students and runaway monks, [Carmina Burana] forms a vivacious manifesto of the undergraduate mentality and its perennial agenda."
  
  *"The music of Philip Glass is generally based on simple rippling lines repeated over and over, with slow metamorphoses. In the process the ideas, which are not necessarily interesting to begin with, do not become any more interesting."
• 
  Jack Caulfield

  Really engaging guide to the history of classical music. In keeping with the more staid tradition it documents, it's a much more carefully structured and considered book than
  Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!, divided into individual essays on the various major composers, chronologically arranged and split into periods. Each essay gives an account of the composer's (often tragic) life—these are written with endearing humour and pathos—and then recommends major compositions to start with for that composer (all handily compiled in an appendix). Interspersed throughout are essays on key concepts like (a)tonality and sonata form. I think it would take more than these (and the fairly comprehensive glossary) to really arrive at a full understanding of the musical concepts involved, but the book is intended as a history more than anything. It's also generously illustrated with a great selection of images, and the format is lovely—it's a real joy to read.
• 
  Qing Wang

  A charming book, elegantly written and with good humor and faith.
  
  Even for a perfect lay person to classical music or western music in general, this collection of hundreds of composers in the long history could be a pleasant and enjoyable reading. One gets to know the famous composers better, gets a glimpse of their lives, personalities, their struggles and experiments, passion or indifference, uncompromising or striving to please the audience, and, great craftsmanship and ingenuity.
  
  And it's not dry. The book reminds us that music evokes emotion. In the end, all the theories and history help us to understand better how generation after generation composers and musicians explore the possibilities, while audiences, contemporary or with some years or decades or even centuries in between, make choices in accordance with their hearts and souls at the moment.
• 
  Amanda

  I would HIGHLY recommend this book to any musician that’s just started at university. I read this book during my first winter break in my undergrad, and when I came back to school I felt like I understood more about composers and the history of music than most people in their fourth year! It is an extremely valuable book full of information that is needed for any classical musician. Swafford is a fairly well known writer in the classical music world because his information is dense but also accessible, making it a fun, worthwhile read!
• 
  Kabir Chugh

  Encyclopedic,, interesting, and immensely useful for beginners
• 
  Eye Summers

  "The Vintage Guide to Classical Music" helped me to see Classical music less broadly & generally "Classical" and narrowed & divided my focus into different Classical music periods.
• 
  Sarah Larson Butler

  Exactly what this adult piano student was looking for - some context and background for the pieces/composers I've been playing. This is more of a reference book than something to read cover to cover and there's a lot of material here. I made my way through the composers I was most interested in, but plan on buying the book for second and third readings as my experience playing and exposure to classical music grows. The structure is simple: an overview of each musical era with chapters on the most prominent composers of each era. Each chapter contains a biography of the composer, followed by a discussion of his contributions to the era and provides a list of his quintessential pieces for listening. Also sprinkled throughout are essays on musical forms and concepts (ie, fugues, cannons, polyphony...) Well researched, well written, wry sense of humor. I found myself reading this with book in one hand, phone in other dialing up YouTube videos of the pieces I was reading about - great hands on resource for a musical education.
• 
  Barnaby Thieme

  This serviceable overview of the history of classical music is primarily a collection of biographies of the lives of major composers. It gives short shrift to music before the classical period, which is a shame because the story of Medieval and Renaissance music is every bit as interesting and rather less well known than more recent developments. Swafford is a lively writer and the lives of composers are rarely dull.
  
  His treatment of Wagner left me disgusted and bitter, but then many music historians completely misunderstand that colossus and his art. I also cannot share his extreme high regard of Brahms. At least we agree on Beethoven and Bach.
  
  This is an excellent guide for someone interested in music history who utterly abhors any mention of theory or winces that the appearance of a staff. However, I would have loved to see much more on the development of instruments, compositional styles, forms, and notation, and fewer anecdotes.
• 
  Tam

  More likely 4.5 stars. I love it.
  
  Classical music has always enchanted me, but at the same time eluded me. It is, as Jacques Barzun said in his
  From Dawn to Decadence, the most difficult art form. As a result, I succumbed, I let go. I listened but I did not try anything further. Yet, this Vintage Guide made me want to try again.
  
  Highly recommended.
• 
  Emily

  I am reading this for a class, history of musical style, I am taking at the local music school. My only complaint is that the author and I have different opinions of certain composers! Otherwise it is wonderful. It is very comprehensive and starts with chant rather than Bach. Only real music buffs know Palestrina right?!
• 
  Melissa

  This was required reading in my college music history courses, but has become one of my favorite music history reference books. It's concise, and it highlights interesting things about composers and pieces of music that help bring music history to life.
• 
  Joe Crawford

  The only flaw of this book is what rabbit holes it will open: the music you will want to listen to, and the composers that you will want to know more about. Excellent primer. Now I have about 30 new books that I want go read.
• 
  Hans Ostrom

  Very helpful. An unpretentious overview, with brief biographical sections and a balanced assessment of each composer's strengths, limitations, and influence. Also recommends the pieces to start with if the reader is unfamiliar with a given composer.
• 
  Tyler

  Excellent source of information, and surprisingly engaging and easy to read. Best book of music history I've read (though that's not really saying much).
• 
  Vivencio

  quite engaging and comprehensive - from musical terms to individual composers; a must for anyone building a classical music library.
• 
  James

  the best music history overview book out there. Jan Swafford is nice and chatty.
• 
  Mark

  Good reference to major composers, musical terms, and sonata form. Composers listed, by historical period, and who they influenced. Can be read straight through, more of reference.
• 
  Will

  Knowing very little about classical music, this was a perfect book for understanding the basics. It spans early Renaissance through the present day.
• 
  Janelle

  If you're looking for a good guide to the history of classical music, this is it. It's very readable and user friendly. I found it to be highly interesting and written in an entertaining way.
• 
  Anthony Smith

  A MUST OWN FOR ANY CLASSICAL MUSICIAN!