• Over 14,000 entries on a wide range of musical categories
• Comprehensive works lists for major composers
• Generous coverage of living composers and performers
• Important ballets and operas
• Musical instruments and their history

New to this edition

• Fully updated. Includes new composers, works, and performers

Derived from the classic Oxford Dictionary of Music, this is the most authoritative dictionary of music available in paperback. Up-to-date and clearly written, it is a rich mine of information for lovers of music of all periods and styles.

Written by Michael Kennedy, a renowned authority on classical music and chief music critic for The Sunday Telegraph, from 1989 to 2005, the dictionary includes over 14,000 entries on musical terms from allegro to zingaro, and on musical works from Aida to Tosca, as well as musical instruments and their history, composers, librettists, musicians, singers, and orchestras. It also boasts comprehensive works lists for major composers.

Fully revised and updated, the 5th edition of this established reference work contains over 200 new entries, including information on approximately 150 new performers.

Essential reference for music students and teachers, and fascinating reading for all other music enthusiasts.