MUSIC in TIME
Explore Music History from antiquity until the present day. Enjoy the unfolding of western art music through the lives and works of the great composers and discover many a hidden musical gem en route!
Ancient & Medieval up to 1450
Renaissance 1450–1600
Baroque 1600–1750
Classical 1750–1825
Romantic 1825–1900
Modern 1900 onwards
A Selected Bibliography:
Ancient & Medieval
The Story of Music: from Antiquity to the Present. Maria Lord
Music (DK Eyewitness Books). Neil Ardley
Source Readings in Music History: Antiquity and the Middle Ages v. 1
Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Man & Music Series. James McKinnon
Man & His Music: Mediaeval and Early Renaissance Music. Alec Harman
The Music of the Spheres by Jamie James
Knights at Court by Aldo Scaglione
A Distant Mirror: the Calamitous 14Th Century by Barbara Tuchman
Renaissance
Companion To Medieval And Renaissance Music
Source Readings in Music History: The Renaissance Vol 2
Baroque
Source Readings in Music History: The Baroque Era v. 3
Monteverdi: His Life and Works, by Henry Prunieres
The Letters of Claudio Monteverdi ~ Denis Stevens
A Performer’s Guide to Music of the Baroque Period (ABRSM)
Sounds and Sweet Airs: The Forgotten Women of Classical Music. Anna Beer
The Sun King (Vintage Classics) ~ Nancy Mitford
Purcell Remembered ~ Michael Burden
The English Pleasure Garden: 1660-1860 (Shire Library). Sarah Jane Downing
Tosi’s Observations on the Florid Song (Facsimile of 1743 English Edition)
On Playing the Flute by Johann Joachim Quantz
The Faber Pocket Guide to Bach ~ Nicholas Kenyon
Music in the Castle of Heaven: A Portrait of J S Bach ~ John Eliot Gardiner
Evening in the Palace of Reason: Bach Meets Frederick the Great ~ James Gaines
The Faber Pocket Guide to Handel ~ Edward Blakeman
The Lives of Haydn, Mozart and Metastasio ~ Stendhal
Classical
The Lives Of The Great Composers: Third Edition
The Complete Classical Music Guide (Eyewitness Companions)
A Performer’s Guide to Music of the Classical Period (ABRSM)
Source readings in music history from antiquity through the romantic era
Gluck and the Opera – Scholar’s Choice Edition
Gluck and the French Theatre in Vienna
Form in Music by Stewart Macpherson
The Classical Era: From the 1740s to the end of the 18th Century (Man & Music)
The Classical Style: Haydn, Beethoven & Mozart, by Charles Rosen
The Faber Pocket Guide to Mozart, by Sir Nicholas Kenyon
The Nine Symphonies of Beethoven (Antony Hopkins)
Schubert (Masters of Music) ~ Percy M. Young
Schubert’s Songs ~ Richard Capell
Rossini: His Life and Works (Master Musicians Series) ~ Richard Osborne
Romantic
A Performer’s Guide to Music of the Romantic Period (ABRSM)
Niccolo Paganini: Supreme Violinist or Devil’s Fiddler? (Great Performers Series)
The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz (translated by David Cairns)
Berlioz: Servitude and Greatness 1832-1869 (by David Cairns)
Source Readings in Music History: The Romantic Era v. 5
“Sounds and Sweet Airs: The Forgotten Women of Classical Music” by Anna Beer
‘The Romantic Generation’ by Charles Rosen
‘The Gilded Stage: A Social History of Opera’ by Daniel Snowman
Verdi (Master Musicians Series)
The Faber Pocket Guide to Wagner
The Last Waltz: The Strauss Dynasty and Vienna by John Suchet
Modern
Why Mahler?: How One Man and Ten Symphonies Changed the World. Lebrecht
Alma Mahler-Werfel: Diaries 1898-1902. Edited by Antony Beaumont
Stravinsky’s Piano: Genesis of a Musical Language (Music since 1900)
Francis Poulenc: Selected Correspondence, 1915-63
Pierre Bernac: The Interpretation of French Song
‘Messiaen’ by Robert Sherlaw Johnson
The Faber Pocket Guide to Britten
The Operas of Benjamin Britten
A Selected Discography:
Ancient & Medieval
Music of Ancient Greece. Atrium de Madrid. Gregorio Paniagua
Byzantine Hymns: Kassia of Constantinople
Music of the Middle Ages. David Munrow
Chants of the Milanese Church. Ensemble Organum · Pérès
Music and Poetry at Saint Gall. Ensemble Gilles Binchois · Vellard
Mozarabic Chant. Ensemble Organum. Marcel Peres
Hildegard von Bingen: O Jerusalem. Sequentia
Hildegard von Bingen: A Feather on the Breath of God. Gothic Voices
Codex Calixtinus, 12th century /Ensemble Organum · Pérès
Llibre Vermell de Montserrat / Hesperion XX. Jordi Savall
Leonin: Magister Leoninus Vol.2 Sacred Music from 12th-Century Paris
Perotin. The Hilliard Ensemble
The Lily and the Lamb: chant & polyphony from medieval England
Alfonso X El Sabio: Cantigas de Santa Maria ~ Hesperion XX
Love Songs of the Middle Ages ~ Sequentia
Music of the Crusades: 12 & 13 Century Music. David Munrow
Sepharad: Songs of the Spanish Jews ~ Ensemble Sarband
Sumer is icumen in: English Medieval Chants ~ The Hilliard Ensemble
Carmina Burana, Vol. 2 ~ New London Consort. Philip Pickett, cond.
The Century of Ars Nova (14th Century)
Machaut: Messe De Notre Dame. Andrew Parrott, cond.
Codex Faenza-15c.Italy manuscript (14th-century keyboard music)
John Dunstable – Sweet Harmony (Masses and Motets)
Renaissance
Ars Subtilior ~ Dawn of the Renaissance
The Garden of Zephirus: Courtly songs of the early 15th Century
Oswald von Wolkenstein: Songs of Myself – Andreas Scholl
El Cancionero de la Colombina 1451-1506
El Cancionero de Palacio 1474-1516. Hesperion XX
Josquin Desprez: Missa Pange lingua /Ensemble Clément Janequin
Josquin Desprez: Adieu mes amours, Chansons.
Renaissance – Music For Inner Peace. The Sixteen
Taverner: Missa Mater Christi Sanctissima
Tallis: Spem in Alium /The Tallis Scholars · Phillips
16th Century Music for Viols. Fretwork & Rose Consort of Viols
Byrd: Mass for Five Voices ~ Christ Church Cathedral Choir/Darlington
Frottole: Songs from the courts of Rennaisance Italy
Luys Milan: El Maestro. Montserrat Figueras & Hopkinson Smith
Cipriano de Rore: Missa Praeter rerum seriem, Motets & Madrigals
Concerto Delle Donne. Consort of Musicke
Gesualdo: Quinto Libro di Madrigali. Consort of Musicke
English Madrigals. The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips, cond.
Musica Della Cappella Sistina: Allegri, Josquin, Morales, Palestrina
Orlande de Lassus: Mass ‘Tout les Regretz’ and Motets
A New Venetian Coronation 1595. Gabrieli Consort & Players. McCreesh
Gabrieli: Music for San Rocco 1608 ~ Gabrieli Consort & Players
Mateo Flecha: Ensaladas. Hesperion XX, Jordi Savall, cond.
Guerrero: Sacrae Cantiones. Hesperion XX, Jordi Savall, cond.
El Cancionero de Medinaceli. Hesperion XX, Jordi Savall, cond.
Dowland: Second Booke of Songs. The Consort of Musicke
Baroque
Intermedi (1589) La Pellegrina. Taverner Consort, Andrew Parrott
Monteverdi: L’Orfeo. Gardiner, cond.
Monteverdi: Eighth Book of Madrigals, Vol 1 /Concerto Italiano · Alessandrini
Monteverdi: L’incoronazione di Poppea. René Jacobs, cond.
Monteverdi: Vespers 1610. Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra · Gardiner
Carissimi: Jephthah, Jonah. Gabrieli Consort & Players · McCreesh
Tous les matins du monde: Lully, Marais, Couperin. Jordi Savall, cond.
Lully: Atys (Les Arts Florissants/William Christie)
José MarÃn – Tonos Humanos. Montserrat Figueras, sop./Rolf Lislevand, guitar.
Dame Janet Baker, mezzo: Bach, Purcell, Rameau, Cavalli
Christmas Music ~ Scarlatti, Corelli, Bach. Emma Kirkby, sop/London Baroque
F Couperin: L’Apothéose de Lully; harpsichord works
Per un bacio – 17th Century Italian Cantatas & Madrigals. Marta Almajano, sop.
Domenico Scarlatti: Sonatas for Harpsichord/Trevor Pinnock
Miserere. Westminster Abbey Choir: Allegri, Lotti, Gesualdo, Gabrieli, Monteverdi
Pergolesi: Stabat Mater; Salve Regina (Kirkby/Bowman))
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto RV581, Salve Regina. Il Seminario Musicale
J S Bach: The Vivaldi Concerti/Franz Hauk, organ
J S Bach: Harpsichord Concertos Vol. 2 – Aapo Hakkinen, harpsichord
J S Bach: Brandenburg Concertos 4-6. The English Concert/Trevor Pinnock
A Vauxhall Gardens Entertainment: Handel, Abel, Arne, Boyce/London Baroque
Handel: Samson. Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Telemann: Recorder Duos-Volume. 1
Handel: Messiah/Trevor Pinnock, cond.
Vivaldi – Gloria & Magnificat/Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini, cond.
J S Bach: Magnificat & Cantata BWV51/John Eliot Gardiner, cond.
J.S. Bach: Cello Suites ~ David Watkin, baroque cello
Bach: Goldberg Variations ~ Steven Devine, harpsichord
Bach: Mass in B Minor. Collegium Vocale Gent/Philippe Herreweghe, cond.
Charpentier: Te Deum. Les Arts Florissants/William Christie, cond.
Rameau: Pygmalion. Les Talens Lyriques/Christophe Rousset, cond.
John Gay & Christopher Pepusch: The Beggar’s Opera
Handel: As Steals the Morn ~ arias & scenes for tenor. Mark Padmore, tenor
Classical
Bach: Musikalisches Opfer (The Musical Offering), BWV 1079
CPE Bach: Instrumental Chamber Music
Drama Queens: Joyce DiDonato, mezzo
Baroque Opera Arias: Purcell, Handel, Gluck. Carolyn Watkinson, contralto
Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 76, No. 4 (Sunrise), No. 5, No. 6
O Tuneful Voice: Songs from C18 London. Kirkby/Müller
Haydn: Die Schöpfung (The Creation)
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Serenata Notturna, A Musical Joke
Diana Damrau ~ Arie di Bravura (Mozart, Salieri, Righini)
Edita Gruberova ~ Mozart: Concert Arias
Mozart: Mass in C minor/Philippe Herreweghe, cond.
Mozart: Symphonies 40 & 41 (Jupiter). Vienna Philharmonic/Karajan, cond.
Beethoven: String Quartets Op.18, 1-6 ~ Jerusalem Quartet
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis/Philippe Herreweghe, cond.
Beethoven: Symphony No.9. The Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwood, cond.
Beethoven : Fidelio [Highlights] – Harnoncourt, cond.
Beethoven, Meyerbeer & Spohr: Lieder Melodies ~ Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo
Schubert/Schumann:Songs ~ Elly Ameling, sop. & Jörg Demus, piano
Schubert: Lieder ~ Dietrich Fischer-Diskau, baritone & Gerald Moore, piano
Schubert: Lieder ~ Christoph Prégardien, tenor & Tilman Hoppstock, guitar
Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia
Romantic
Paganini: 24 Capricci, Op.1. Salvatore Accardo, violin.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique / Lélio
Berlioz: Les Nuits d’été. Susan Graham, mezzo
Norwegian Violin Favourites (Ole Bull, Grieg, etc)
Songs to Shakespeare (Henry Bishop, etc). Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor
Mendelssohn: Elias/Paulus/A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Herreweghe, cond.
Mendelssohn- Piano Trios Nos 1 & 2 (Gould Piano Trio)
Fanny Mendelssohn / Clara Schumann: Piano Trios (The Dartington Piano Trio)
A Romantic Songbook. Thomas Quasthoff, bass-bariton; Justus Zeyen, piano
Chopin: Piano Concerto 1/Preludes/Barcarolle/Scherzo. Martha Argerich, piano
Chopin: Works for Piano and Orchestra. Emanuel Ax, piano/OAE
Liszt’s Petrarch Sonnets. Bruce Ford, tenor. Il primo dolce affanno/Opera Rara
Schumann: Piano Concerto; Symphony No2. Staier, piano/Herreweghe, cond.
Thomas Hampson Lieder Recital (Schumann, Beethoven etc)
Brahms – Volkslieder; Zigeunerlieder
Twilight Of The Gods – The Ultimate Wagner Ring Collection
Maria Callas: Verdi Arias, Vol. 1
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (Highlights)
Offenbach: Orpheus in Der Unterwelt
Natalie Dessay ~ Miracle of the Voice
Johann Strauss: Die Fledermaus
Gilbert & Sullivan – The Mikado
Bruckner: Choral Works. La Chapelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe
Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade
A Portrait of Frederica von Stade
Fauré Mélodies. Barbara Hendricks, sop.
Granados songs and tonadillas. The Art of Pilar Lorengar, sop.
Canteloube: Songs of the Auvergne. Frederica von Stade, mezzo
Vaughan Williams: Songs of Travel. Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor
Modern
Mahler: Symphony No.1/Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Fischer-Diskau, bar.
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Thomas Hampson, baritone
Mahler: Rückert-Lieder. Janet Baker, mezzo/John Barbirolli, cond.
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (Chamber version arr. Schoenberg)
Songs by Schubert, Mahler and R. Strauss (Margaret Price/Geoffrey Parsons)
Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony)
R Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier (highlights)
Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande
Romantic French Songs: Debussy’s Chansons de Bilitis (Sarah Walker, mezzo)
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No.5./Canteloube. Kiri Te Kanawa, sop.
Sibelius Songs. Anne Sophie von Otter, mezzo
Montserrat Caballé: Diva (Puccini arias)
French Chamber Classics РRavel: Gaspard De La Nuit. C̩dric Tiberghien, piano
Ravel: L’enfant et les sortilèges – Ma mère l’oye
Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire (Boulez)
Berg / Korngold / Strauss: Lieder
Speak Low: Kurt Weill Songs. Anne Sophie von Otter, mezzo
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps; L’Oiseau de feu. Antal Dorati, cond.
Stravinsky: The Rake’s Progress
Stravinsky/Gesualdo: Choral Works
Composers in Person: Poulenc/Bernac & Britten/Pears
Voyage A Paris: The Mélodies of Francis Poulen. Felicity Lott, soprano
Poulenc: Les Mamelles de Tirésias/Le Bal Masqué
Poulenc: Dialogues des Carmélites
American Songs (Barber, Copland, etc): Barbara Bonney, sop./André Previn, piano
Messiaen: Poemes Pour Mi/Chants De Terre
Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony – Quatour pour la fin du temps
Britten – English Choral Music
Britten: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
