The most informed reference book on nineteenth-century music currently available, this comprehensive overview of music in the nineteenth century draws on the most recent scholarship in the field. Essays investigate the intellectual and socio-political history of the time, and examine topics such as nations and nationalism, the emergent concept of an avant garde, and musical styles and languages at the turn of the century. It contains a detailed chronology, and extensive glossaries. "...highly recommended to advanced students, scholars, and (fairly sophisticated) readers in general. With its interesting viewpoints and wealth of information, it will make a valuable addition to the bibliography of surveys of the period." Journal of Musicological Research "After more than three decades of discovery and controversy about Western at music of the 19th century, Samson ... has put together a collection that articulates contemporary understanding of that era's major issues.... Bringing together material heretofore dispersed in journals and hard-to-find collections, this volume is recommended for academic, professional, and public collections at all levels." Choice First published in 2002, this comprehensive overview of music in the nineteenth century draws on extensive scholarship in the field. Jim Samson has been a Professor of Music at the Universities of Exeter and Bristol and is now Professor of Music at Royal Holloway, University of London. He has published several books on Chopin including The Cambridge Companion to Chopin (1992), as well as books on Szymanowski, late Romantic music, and music of the early twentieth century.