Includes indexes and music download card giving access to audio files of performances.

Part I: THE NATURE OF MUSIC. 1. Music Listening and You -- 2. Rhythm -- 3. Melody and Harmony -- 4. Dynamics, Timbre, and Organization -- 5. Orchestral Instruments -- 6. Other Musical Instruments -- Part II: EARLY, MEDIEVAL, AND RENAISSANCE MUSIC. 7. Early Western Music -- 8. Medieval Music -- 9. Renaissance Music -- Part III: BAROQUE MUSIC. 10. The Baroque Period -- 11. Oratorio and Cantata -- 12. Opera in the Baroque -- 13. Baroque Instrumental Music : Suite and Sonata -- 14. Baroque Instrumental Music : Concerto and Fugue -- Part IV: CLASSICAL MUSIC. 15. Classicism and Classical Music -- 16. Sonata Form -- 17. The Concerto -- 18. Classical Opera -- 19. Chamber Music -- 20. Piano Sonatas -- 21. The Symphony and Beethoven -- Part V: ROMANTIC MUSIC. 22. Romance and Romanticism -- 23. Early Romantic Music -- 24. Romantic Piano Music -- 25. Program and Ballet Music -- 26. Romantic Opera -- 27. Late Romantic Music -- 28. Nationalism -- Part VI: TWENTIETH-CENTURY MUSIC. 29. Impressionism and Post-Romanticism -- 30. Music in the Twentieth Century -- 31. The Mainstream -- 32. Expressionism and Primitivism 33. Neoclassicism and Tone Row Music -- 34. New Sounds and New Techniques -- PART VII: MUSIC IN THE UNITED STATES. 35. American Music before 1920 -- 36. Concert Music since 1920 -- 37. Popular Music and Jazz to 1950 -- 38. Popular Music since 1950 -- 39. Music for Stage and Film -- PART VIII: Music around the World. 40. Folk and Ethnic Music -- 41. Folk Music of Europe and the Americas -- 42. Music of Africa and the Middle East -- 43. Music of Asia -- Glossary -- Listening Guides Indexed by Composer -- Index of Composer Biographies.