Music Bible (Volume 1) Revised Edition

Author: Lin Yicong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The immense direct power of opera is largely due to its vocal nature. This might sound naive, but when you consider all the various instruments in a massive and complex symphony orchestra, none can rival the extraordinary expressiveness of the human voice. The human voice is the greatest instrument. When such a voice, or several, even many voices, undertake the task of drama or sing a story, no other genre can match its direct, moving power.
Melody is a sequence of different notes organized to produce a meaningful and memorable effect. But the meaning of music itself is inherently elusive. What we hear and can describe is merely a sequence of meaningful sounds—a sound that moves us in one direction or another, a sound that seems to hold artistic truth.
Since its publication in 1993, The Sound and Light Bible has served as a practical reference for music lovers, having been reprinted multiple times. Western classical music enthusiasts have relied on it as a guide for selecting record versions and accessing track information. However, due to the limited selection of repertoire and the narrow range of recommended versions in The Music Bible, readers have that the original volume and capacity no longer meet the current needs for. Thus, the decision was made to expand it on a large scale. The Music Bible (Expanded Edition) is a major expansion of the original Music Bible. Its version recommendations are primarily based on The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music, Japan's Record Art, the U.S.'s TAS (The Absolute Sound), and Stereo Review magazine rankings, supplemented by information from Western and Japanese music magazines and various record guides. The book compiles all available information on Western classical music repertoire, background, and record versions, selected primarily based on new CD information. The recommended versions also prioritize major company products easily found in the domestic market.
The Music Bible integrates Western music history, composer names, work information, work interpretations, and record version guides, making it the best choice for Western classical music in the CD era.