In the original dustsheet. Black cloth binding with gilt title on the spine.

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From the romantic agonies of Hector Berlioz to the lonely labours of Anton Bruckner, and from the cosmopolitan triumphs of George Frideric Handel to the politically fraught career of Dmitri Shostakovich in the Soviet Union, the lives of the great composers are as varied and multifaceted as the works of creative genius they produced. Writing with verve and passion, broadcaster and writer Jeremy Nicholas presents, in chronological order, elegant, informative and often affectionate biographical profiles of 50 of the greatest composers in the history of classical music. The biographies not only describe the life, artistic development and creative output of each composer, but also set the composers and their works in a broader historical and cultural context. Furthermore, shortlists of ‘must-hear’ masterpieces for each composer give the reader all the information they need to begin to build a brilliant classical music collection. Taken together, the 50 profiles in The Great Composers amount to a concise history of 500 years of classical music. Accessible and entertaining, but also informative and authoritative, this is the perfect introduction to the world of classical music for the general reader.

Review: I bought this book for my mother who is elderly and wanted an accessible reminder of all her favourite composers. This exactly fits the bill, easy to read and absorb, but not over simplistic. Plenty of humour and lively narrative, bringing the composers to life, but maintaining the intention of the book to inform. The lives and works of all the great composers are here and snippets and anecdotes enliven the descriptions to intrigue and amuse the reader. My mother is delighted with the book and she is not easily pleased, so I feel confident in recommending the book to anyone wanting a comprehensive overview of composers’ lives and works in one compact volume.