The author that has taught thousands of visitors to love opera now introduces readers to the wealthy and soul-stirring world of classical music.

From the writer of the bestselling Opera 101 comes a comprehensive and highly accessible guide to discovering the glories of classical music, based on the fundamental basic principle of developing the skills to seriously listen. In very clear and entertaining prose, Plotkin explores one thousand years of music, introducing listeners to more than one hundred great functions and profiling in depth many significant composers, including Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Dvorák, and Mahler. Plotkin illustrates how each piece of music possesses its own sound world, which is created by the initial style, voice, and vision of each composer, and made even more distinct by every musician who takes on it. He defines main musical conditions, and makes music theory comprehensible for the uninitiated. Interactions with important musicians offer exciting insights into the art.