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Rating: 
Summary: A Useful Sourcebook
Review: A few years ago, this book was my self-study introduction to music history's richly documented history. It certainly inspired me to learn more. I've since graduated to (but certainly not through) the considerably more comprehensive "Source Readings in Music History" - originally the brainchild of Princeton's esteemed music historian Oliver Strunk, republished and updated under the supervision of Leo Treitler and a first-rate group of contemporary scholars. The price of the Strunk-Treitler sourcebook, however, is prohibitive (about $80 for the complete edition - although individual periods in music history can be purchased for about $15 each), so if you're in the market for a taste without jumping into the gourmet pool, the Fisk-Nichols collection offers an excellent alternative. It's fairly comprehensive: although weighted considerably toward the 19th and 20th centuries, there are enough earlier readings to give you a taste of where things were coming from. The entire project, however, is limited by its own title. Many of the most interesting writings cannot be included because they were written either by non-composers or by composers marginalized over time. In short, this is a good collection and serves as an excellen introduction.
Rating: 
Summary: A Useful Sourcebook
Review: A few years ago, this book was my self-study introduction to music history's richly documented history. It certainly inspired me to learn more. I've since graduated to (but certainly not through) the considerably more comprehensive "Source Readings in Music History" - originally the brainchild of Princeton's esteemed music historian Oliver Strunk, republished and updated under the supervision of Leo Treitler and a first-rate group of contemporary scholars. The price of the Strunk-Treitler sourcebook, however, is prohibitive (about $80 for the complete edition - although individual periods in music history can be purchased for about $15 each), so if you're in the market for a taste without jumping into the gourmet pool, the Fisk-Nichols collection offers an excellent alternative. It's fairly comprehensive: although weighted considerably toward the 19th and 20th centuries, there are enough earlier readings to give you a taste of where things were coming from. The entire project, however, is limited by its own title. Many of the most interesting writings cannot be included because they were written either by non-composers or by composers marginalized over time. In short, this is a good collection and serves as an excellen introduction.
Rating:
Summary: See what the composers themselves have to say!
Review: I love this book! It covers just about every composer you've ever heard of. Filled to the brim with helpful essays. I also love the letters the composers wrote to other people. This book is a great way to get into the composer's mind! Highly recommended. Belongs in the library of every musician as well as the music student/lover! Buy it!
Rating: 
Summary: prefer the original
Review: It's very sad that vital books have to be "updated" and "revised" to accomodate the writing careers of persons unable to create vital books themselves. See if you can get hold of the original Sam Morgenstern instead.Recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.
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