Penguin Books Australia

In the early twentieth century being a female composer was a dangerous game; one composer was diagnosed as mentally insane by her psychiatrist husband, several achieved success only after their divorces and often the only way to get their music published was to lie about their gender. Still, the allure of writing music enticed women from all walks of life, and from the convent and the nappy-change...

The Rough Guide to Classical Music is the ideal handbook, spanning a thousand years of music from Gregorian chant via Bach and Beethoven to contemporaries such as Thomas Adès and Kaija Saariaho.

An essential guide to more than 1,000 years of classical music

Lose yourself in the fascinating story of classical music in The Complete Classical Music Guide . Full of beautiful colour photographs, over 300 inspiring composer biographies, analyses of major classical works and information on every genre, style and form, instrument and ensemble, this is essential reading for every lover of classical...

The 28-page introductory section includes spreads which display the instruments of the modern symphony orchestra, and some of their antecedents.

The composer's music is explored in successive spreads.

A colourful biography of George Gershwin, arguably the 20th-century's greatest songwriter.

The Charlatans have had three UK Number One albums and seventeen Top Thirty singles. But they've also had to face the imprisonment and death of keyboard player Rob Collins and an accountant who ran off with all their money. Not to mention the rock 'n' roll excesses of singer Tim Burgess.

Downloads, CDs and DVD mean it is possible to listen to hundreds of thousands of classical recordings today - but  how do you pick your way through the staggering array of music now on offer?

We live in a golden age for classical music. Never before has it been possible to access such a staggering array of performances. Through downloads, CDs and DVD listeners can access music from the medieval period to the modern, played by groups and individuals from around the world, and recorded at any point since the invention of recording itself.

Have you ever wondered why most classical music concerts are such stuffy affairs?

Had to bluff your way through conversations about classical music?

Want to get a handle on music by the modern composers?

Tried and failed to convince teenagers of the merits of Beethoven or Bach?

Or just want a great read on music you love?

The Charlatans have had three UK Number One albums and seventeen Top Thirty singles. But they've also had to face the imprisonment and death of founding powerhouse keyboard player Rob Collins and an accountant who ran off with all their money, leaving them with a tax bill of almost £2 million. Not to mention the rock 'n' roll excesses of singer Tim Burgess.