Five Centuries of Keyboard Music

Rating:
Summary: One seat of honor books in my personal library!
Review: Gillespie was professor of Music at the Indiana University. He endeavored to satisfy a wide range of interests. From the clavier literature student to the musical gourmet , he presents the different phases of keyboard development . Beware about the organ music . He prevents the organ music has its own niche and requires a separate volume .
Individual chapters and articles will be helpful in quickly locating information about particular composers , even the most unknown and sometimes neglected composers of the different countries and periods . Footnotes and bibliographies will be important for the professional , student , performer or simply casual investigator .
As result of the final reading you will obtain a precise scope about the development of the works for the solo keyboard , traditions , interconnections from the first works of the sixteenth century to the new composers of today.
A real must for the music lovers and every person sincerely interested in the evolution of the instrument.


Rating:
Summary: A must-have resource for pianists
Review: John Gillespie has written an invaluable resource for anyone interested in solo keyboard music. There are brief biographies of the most important composers, and the author's recommendations of each composer's best solo keyboard works. Gillespie also mentions minor composers, and summarizes the "mood" of each musical period. I don't always agree with his critiques, but that just makes it more interesting. If you are a pianist, teacher, or student, you should own this book