The Classical Music Guide Forums

By Ron Wynn, rwynn@nashvillecitypaper.com
May 25, 2006

For more than 14 years, Ted Libbey’s extensive knowledge of classical music history was spotlighted as part of the National Public Radio program Performance Today.

While he previously wrote the well-received work The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection, Libbey’s latest project represents a mammoth 11-year undertaking. He’ll be discussing entries and signing copies this evening from his newest volume, The NPR Listener’s Encyclopedia (Workman), a 928-page text that covers centuries of recordings and performances.

Libbey acknowledges that even a book this massive couldn’t cover every single figure in classical music, and cites a couple of criteria he used to determine inclusions and exclusions.

“First, I wanted to give substantial coverage to performers as well as composers,” Libbey said. “A lot of reference books on classical music concentrate on composers. But the performers are the people that the audience really identify with and enjoy. I wanted to give readers a sense of which performers are of historical importance and those that had a major influence on composers.

“Also, I wanted to make sure people who contributed the most to the music, both performers and composers, were covered. I didn’t want to include just the giants, but look at other composers whose contributions might have been ignored because they did their greatest work in an era before recordings. Then of course you must also cover the greats, both composers and performers.”

Libbey’s book not only examines every phase of classical music from its earliest period to the 20th century, but also includes sections on specific terms and works, plus composers and performers many listeners may have occasionally heard, but are not aware of their origins or long-term impact.

The book is billed as the world’s first interactive classical encyclopedia, something Libbey admits may not have happened in earlier years.

“The reason for that development comes from the fact I couldn’t finish when I was supposed to,” he joked. “With the revolution in technology, we’ve been able to create something wonderful that readers receive to help them better appreciate the entries in the encyclopedia.”

Buyers receive a password opening the door to a vast Web site that’s been created in conjunction with the classical label Naxos. The site has more than 600 examples of compositions, techniques and performers, with complete examples provided rather than snippets and fragments.

Now a contributor to the audiophile journal The Absolute Sound and director of media arts for The National Endowment for the Arts, Libbey’s keeping a journal of new developments in classical music for possible inclusion in future versions of the encyclopedia.

“I started keeping this journal almost as soon as I handed in the manuscript for the encyclopedia,” he said. “These cover new developments in classical music, spotlight some of the newer artists in the field, and just focus on new events that I think are important. If we do have updated editions, then these are some of the things that will be added.”

All those pages ... and the volume is around $12 and change from Amazon-dot-com. The paper must have cost that much alone! It's a paperback, probably printed in newsprint. I'm awaiting a copy too see how in-depth the the material is ... will report, unless someone's already got a copy.

I've seen the book at B&N. It looks authoritative and would be a valuable addition to the library of someone not very familiar with the span of classical music over the centuries.

I didn't see a reason to acquire it.

I adore Libbey.

As I was leafing through this excellent volume, which is printed on really good paper—but it is a paperback book, so handle carefully for long-term use!—the very first name I looked up was Wanda Landowska, the high-priestess of the harpsichord and the person who is credited for the harpsichord's rebirth in the 20th century. Guess what: no listing whatsoever! On the other hand, you'll find names (singers I discovered) that appear here that have long been deceased who don't begin to have the musical importance of a Landowska. Libbey notes, however, that it is impossible to include every musician's or composer's name in one volume. Nonetheless, you will find important composers and performers missing from this book that probably could have been two to three times its size if you wanted to include everyone. No doubt the information would have to be truncated substantially. But for the basis music lover, this will be a very important book to have on your shelf. I might like to ask Mr. Libbey how many entries he found it necessary to delete when making up the final compilation. I'm sure there were many.