The Norton Anthology of Western Music, Fourth Edition, Volume 2: Classic to Modern

Rating:
Summary: A Comprehensive Anthology of Scores
Review: This is the second volume of the Norton Anthology of Western Music. While the first Volume covers Music of the Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods, this one deals with Music from the Classical, Romantic, Contemporary and Modern Periods. The book offers a selection of scores (92 in total) from several composers, from a period that spans over 250 years (earliest score from 1733, latest from 1966). The composers that are covered include (almost) all the "Big Names" of what people usually refer to as "classical" music: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Berlioz, Mendelsshon, Liszt, Chopin, Schubert, Schumman, Bruckner, Rossini, Bellini, Wagner, Verdi, Mahler, Strauss, Debussy, Ravel, and so on (57 in this volume, 152 in total). The only noticeable absences on a first reading of the index are perhaps Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Schostakovitsch. However, given the restrictions of space that are inherent to any written medium, the Anthology still manages to remain quite comprehensive. On the other hand, very few, if any, comments or analyses of the scores are offered for each of the pieces (always following the music). Pieces that involve vocals (i.e. excerpts from operas) are supplemented with an English translation besides than the orginal text. The scores themselves are 'full' scores and not piano reductions. Naturally, this causes some scores that involve rich orchestration (i.e. the first movement of Beethoven's Third Symphony) to be printed in small fonts, which in turn may take its toll in the readability of the music. Still, one always needs to remember the restricions of space that accompany any written medium-it's either small fonts or fewer scores.

Two notes of warning: first, the book is not accompanied by any music. It contains simply the printed scores. A good choice for supplementing the two volume set, is Hannig's Concise History of Western Music with its 4 CD set. Although the CD set does not contain all music of the two volumes, it does contain a good protion of it(about 60-70%) and has a user friendly, easy to understand cross-reference system with the two volumes. Additionally, the book may offer the much needed commentary and background in some cases.
Second note of warning: as any anthology, this one, too, is merely a represenative sample. It is not a 'Greatest Hits' collection-for example you won't find Beethoven's Fifth or Ninth in it, or even the complete score of a large scale piece(i.e. Operas or Symhonies). What is included are excerpts (whole Movements for example), and shorter complete pieces (i.e. Chopin's E-flat Major Nocturne), that from the editors' perspective present a more or less complete landscape of Music from where Vol. 1 concludes and up to today. Naturally, omissions are inevitable, especially when one looks for balance. The four stars (and not five) are mainly because of the choice of scores at some points, at the choice (or omission) of composers at others, and, mainly, for the lack of more comprehensive commentaries and analyses of the pieces.