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"The triumph of music in the 20th century was its abundant pluralism. This Companion is, I believe, the first to define and applaud that diversity," says Norman Lebrecht. The Companion to 20th Century Music celebrates the extraordinary range of musical accomplishment in this century: from atonality, neoclassicism and serialism to minimalism, computer music, and sheer chance. It recognizes and evaluates the successors to Verdi and Puccini, Brahms and Mahler, while at the same time analyzing the contributions of jazz and rock in recent musical evolution.
With more than 2,500 entries, the book is comprehensive in scope and factual in detail. But this book differs from other reference works in important ways. It expresses opinions and takes sides; in other words, it has a point of view. It celebrates diversity and pluralism, and prefers art to ideology or schools of thought. It assesses musicians according to individual ability rather than institutional eminence. It recognizes some composers whose achievements are as yet little known and rescues others from undeserved oblivion. Above all, The Companion to 20th Century Music is meant to be read. Entries are written in narrative with a minimum of jargon and abbreviations. The conclusions may be controversial, but thanks to Mr. Lebrecht's style and wit, they are always entertaining and enlightening.
