Rating: 
Summary: A definitive history of Western art music
Review: "A History of Western Music" is a standard reference text for the academic study of "classical" art music from antiquity to the present (i.e. 1960). As an example of this book's scholarly authority, the 5th edition is commonly the sole information source for many Master's of Music history qualifying exams. Author and Cornell professor emeritus Donald Grout writes with a straightforward style and elucidates his prose with many colorful pictures and musical examples. All those looking for a thorough, single volume survey of Western art music should make this book the first addition to their library.
Rating:
Summary: A definitive history of Western art music
Review: "A History of Western Music" is a standard reference text for the academic study of "classical" art music from antiquity to the present (i.e. 1960). As an example of this book's scholarly authority, the 5th edition is commonly the sole information source for many Master's of Music history qualifying exams. Author and Cornell professor emeritus Donald Grout writes with a straightforward style and elucidates his prose with many colorful pictures and musical examples. All those looking for a thorough, single volume survey of Western art music should make this book the first addition to their library.
Rating: 
Summary: Dull and Lifeless
Review: A dull, lifeless work mired in traditional, outdated musicology. Little of the revolution in musicological thought, including social, cultural, and philsophical approaches has impacted this work. Interdiscplinary aspects of music and other arts largely are ignored.To consider Western classical music as disconnected from science, sociocultural influences, and not intimately connected to art and literature, is a travesty. This is very old school and therefore best avoided, unless one likes traditional encyclopedias (even Groves is better than this). Someone needs to overtake this franchise completely with a new work worthy of the 21st century.
Rating:
Summary: Dull and Lifeless
Review: A dull, lifeless work mired in traditional, outdated musicology. Little of the revolution in musicological thought, including social, cultural, and philsophical approaches has impacted this work. Interdiscplinary aspects of music and other arts largely are ignored. To consider Western classical music as disconnected from science, sociocultural influences, and not intimately connected to art and literature, is a travesty. This is very old school and therefore best avoided, unless one likes traditional encyclopedias (even Groves is better than this). Someone needs to overtake this franchise completely with a new work worthy of the 21st century.
Rating:
Summary: Western = White
Review: Agreeably the standard, but anyone who is aiming to know the ENTIRE history of Western music should also check out "The Music of Black Americans" (no underline availabe) by Eileen Southern.
Rating:
Summary: the history of western music?
Review: Agreeably the standard, but really, how can a "history of western music" never mention Gene Autry or Hank Williams or Merle Travis or Porter Wagner? And who is this "Verdi" who's supposed to be a opry composer? I'm sure I never sawed him sawing the fiddle there at the Grand Ole Opry.
Rating:
Summary: Great Reference!
Review: Before I say anything else, you should know that the everyday price for this 6th edition hardcover book is much less at your local bookstore (not at liberty to state where). Why on earth does Amazon charge so much!? I was delighted to hear that Palisca had released yet another edition of this fine reference on the history of Western art music. I present pre-concert lectures & talks for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ravinia Festival and other local orchestras and I find this reference to be a good starting point for refreshing my knowledge of the historical context behind a piece of music I've been asked to talk about. The writing gets clearer and easier to read with every new edition. I found the 6th edition a very easy read, engrossing and wonderfully thorough given the scope of what it sets out to achieve. Since I want this reference to assist me with historical context, I found that it does a terrific job up to the late 19th century, and is somewhat lacking from then on. The reference treats the late 19th and 20th century on a composer-by-composer basis and doesn't link the overall trends very well. For instance I couldn't find much on why Shostakovich and Prokovief composed as they did, whereas composers of the 18th and 19th centuries are placed in larger trends and movements rather easily. I understand that it takes time and dedicated scholars to reveal the many layers that make up an era and its art, so I am forgiving if still a little frustrated. I was impressed that Palisca set out to have each and every section & composer reviewed by scholars in their respective fields of expertise. For instance, I had read a recently published and excellent book that set out to challenge the generally accepted view on Haydn and his place in history as a composer of symphonies, and that author is referenced as a source for the section on Haydn in this 6th edition. Palisca's desire to be thorough and to reflect the lastest research and thought on composers and their eras makes this 6th edition an even more valuable resource for my personal library. I also found the revised glossary to be outstanding and incredibly helpful!
Rating:
Summary: The beset in its field -- revised or not
Review: Contrary to the views of the reviewer from San Francisco, the newly-revised fifth edition is much improved over the third and fourth editions. While I will agree that some book companies promote "newness" as a novlety, I don't agree that such is the case with this book. New discoveries are made about the history of music, especially early music, every year. If books such as this one weren't revised on a regular basis, the text wouldn't necessarily be accurate. Imagine writing a research paper on space travel using a set of enclopedias from 1962; it just won't work. This is by far the best book in its field. For some readers, it may be too concise, as I've heard many complaints that it's dry, boring reading. Well, it's a history textbook, not a Danielle Steele novel, so what would you expect?
Rating: 
Summary: A concise cure for insomnia
Review: For better or worse, this is the standard music history text that most college music majors use. For that purpose, I've yet to find anything as complete and concise. It also works well as a reference, when trying to place some composer or composition in the correct historical context. However, as any freshman music student can tell you, the book is also a fantastic cure for insomnia. Reading this book for any purpose other than academic interest is going to be a hard slog, and I wouldn't recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: It's the standard, but one can still wish for something new.
Review: Grout and Palisca are the Microsoft of music history. Over the years the book has been refined again and again to the point where the whole thing does what it does very well, has what an a very large number of people need, and is acceptably easy to use. On top of all that, it's been backed up with extraordinary marketing savvy. The result is that right now it has little serious competition. Which doesn't stop me from wishing there were a history of music that had flair, had a strong individual perspective, had a new way of looking at the world--none of which you'll find here.
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