Music Books

He lived in the shadow of death, painfully aware of the tuberculosis that would kill him prematurely. But Frédéric Chopin attained immortality with his piano works, which endure as pinnacles of the in...

Renowned nineteenth-century musicologist François-Joseph Fétis assembled this authoritative survey with the assistance of noted violin maker and dealer Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume. Focusing on the work of...

This is far and away the best short guide to Mahler's music, written expressly for music lovers by great scholar who had unparalleled gift for lucid and attractive exposition. The book contains the fu...

This superbly-illustrated biography brings the courtly, elegant world of the eighteenth-century vividly to life, and includes extracts from some of Haydn's best-loved works in simple keyboard arrangem...

A revealing, enlightening and very moving book - and, on second reading even more so.

The life and good times of one of the world's favourite songwriters. If you've ever hummed a popular film or stage song from the mid-1950s on, the chances are you've been humming one of Leslie's. The...

Tales of Boomtown Glory is a collection of the complete lyrics from Bob Geldof's Boomtown Rats and solo albums, accompanied by an introduction and 25 song stories written by Geldof, and exclusive scan...

The very first authorised biography of one of the most invigorating, inventive and independent bands the UK has ever produced.  Written by Enter Shikari expert, Luke Morton, Standing Like Statues tell...

Cecil Gray is mainly remembered as a provocative critic and writer on music. Among his books were such titles as Peter Warlock, Sibelius and Contingencies. In this unique volume the writer's daughter...

Pamela Bowden's story gives a unique perspective on the second half of the twentieth century. In this autobiography she presents a fascinating account of her rich musical life; first, her career as a...

A celebration of the recording career of Kathleen Ferrier, brimming with anecdotes of intrigue and mystery! Paul Campion presents a meticulously researched biography of Ferrier, one of the original st...

This is the first biography of great British conductor Norman Del Mar who sadly died in 1994. A horn-player colleague of Dennis Brain he owed the opportunites for his earliest conducting success to th...

The definitive biography of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, with fascinating findings on his life as a Civil Rights activist, an entrepreneur, and the most innovative musician of our time. Playing...

This pocket-sized reference book is the definitive guide to heavy metal, from death metal to classic rock! It provides career biographies for more than 300 bands and artists, like Black Sabbath, Led Z...

This revised, updated, and expanded edition of the definitive catalogue of works by Sir William Walton (1902-83) follows the completion of the William Walton Edition. A comprehensive source of musical...

In this, the fifth biography in our 'Extraordinary Lives' series, Beethoven expert Professor Barry Cooper provides a fascinating and compact summary of the key moments in Beethoven's life.

Short biography of the life of Benjamin Britten, Written by Chris Mark (University of Surrey, Guildford) 22 November 2013 = 100 years since birth

In this vivid portrait, Bruce Wood illuminates the sometimes shadowy figure of Henry Purcell, richly evoking the atmosphere of 17th-century England - full of intrigues and plots. By interweaving the e...

> Was Mozart poisoned? > Who was his first love? > Who or what was 'Pimperl'? In this book, three distinguished Mozart experts examine 111 frequently asked questions. Mysteries are explained, secrets...

Biography of a forgotten composer and KapellmeisterHis workHis personalityHis time Georg Goltermann stands in the "second row" in 19th century music history. In his time and among his contemporaries,...

Bowie, der Performer. Bowie, der Songschreiber. Bowie, der Künstler. Bowie, das Kunstwerk. Chamäleongleich erfand David Bowie sich und seine Alter Egos immer wieder neu und verwischte dabei die Grenze...