The lyrics penned by Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986) contributed to the success of some of Broadway's best-known shows, such as Brigadoon, Camelot and My Fair Lady. This collection of witty letters offers insights into his creative process and the highs and lows of a four-decade career, as he negotiates with a host of famous correspondents - composers (Leonard Bernstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber), producers (Herman Levin, Frederick Brisson) and stars of stage and screen (Katharine Hepburn, Dirk Bogarde).

Complementing an Oscar-nominated documentary, this biography of Nina Simone (1933-2003) draws on previously unpublished material from her private diaries and the reflections of those who knew her best. It traces the legendary soul singer's struggles and successes, from her frustrated hopes of becoming a classical pianist to groundbreaking appearances at Carnegie Hall, her activities as a civil-rights activist and periodic visits to Africa in search of her 'secret self that is very black'.

Ranging from the medieval era (Hildegard von Bingen, John Dunstable) through Bach and Beethoven to the present day (Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre), this anthology comprises 129 pieces by composers working in the choral traditions of Europe and the Americas. As well as famous masterpieces, it features a variety of lesser-known scores to illustrate the full range of choral genres and styles. The music is presented in full score; an appendix supplies information about each work and English translations of texts.

Before his renowned work for the Hollywood studios, photographer Bob Willoughby (1927-2009) captured many images of performers on the Californian jazz scene of the 1950s, including such pivotal figures as Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee. A selection of these photographs, together with a second group showing jazz artists of the 1990s, is presented here in a lavish volume, with commentary by Willoughby himself and a foreword by Dave Brubeck. Slipcase and silk marker.

John Byrne Cooke was already a musician and a film-maker when he became road manager for Janis Joplin's band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, in 1967. He remained with her and the later groups, Kozmic Blues Band and Full Tilt Boogie, until her death in 1970. Here he describes life and work with Joplin during the singer's brilliant and all-too-short career, from her triumph at the Monterey Pop Festival to the Landmark Hotel in LA, where she died.

Acclaimed as one of pop's most innovative producers, Tony Visconti (b.1944) has worked with such artists as David Bowie, Elaine Paige, T. Rex and The Moody Blues. From early experiences in 1960s London, through the personal and professional struggles of the 1980s to his continuing success today, Visconti's autobiography offers insights into his career, his recording and editing techniques and the relationship between producer and performer. Foreword by Morrissey.

Harry Webb has been a star since his appearance on the television show Oh Boy! in 1958 made him Britain's hottest rock 'n' roller, and every aspect of his life and career has been photographed since. This portfolio of images, spanning over 50 years, mixes publicity and on-stage shots with stills from his film career and private moments with friends, family and a host of other celebrities from Sue Barker to the Queen. Silk marker.

Famous models of electric guitar such as the Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul are not only icons of 20th century design but, for millions of musicians and music fans, powerful objects of desire. Focusing on the American manufacturers that have led the development of the instrument, this highly illustrated volume traces its evolution from the early Hawaiian prototypes of the 1930s to the classic models developed and refined from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Mark Bego's in-depth study of Aretha Franklin (b.1942) traces her life and career from singing in her father's church in the 1950s and recording her first album at the age of 14, to international respect as the 'Queen of Soul'. With a complete discography. Felt-tip mark on lower trimmed edge.

During more than 30 years of travel and research, Professor Tibbetts has interviewed a host of distinguished performers, biographers, critics and commentators who share his interest in the music of Schumann. In this book he brings together their insights concerning the composer's works, his circle of friends and his place in the history of romantic music. The accompanying CD features a discussion of Carnaval and performances by pianist Ronald Brautigam of the eight Noveletten.

With contributions from, among others, Greil Marcus and Billy Bragg, this book of essays and tributes covers the career of Joe Strummer as musician and cultural activist, from The Clash's success in the late 1970s, to the guitarist's death in 2002.

Born in Harlem, New York in 1927, Harry Belafonte grew up amid poverty and racial discrimination; by the mid 1960s he was one of the biggest black stars in the world, and he was using his fame to support and raise funds to fight segregation. In this thoughtful autobiography he explores the roots of his anger and describes the rise of the civil rights movement from his perspective as a close friend of Martin Luther King and a lifelong, passionate activist. Slightly off-mint. American-cut pages and felt-tip mark on lower trimmed edge.

Entertaining and opinionated, Dylan Jones's survey of modern popular music comprises more than 350 entries, focusing on a personal selection of groups and solo artists and including anecdotes from many of his own experiences when interviewing the musicians. Other entries concern topics such as catwalk music, jazz-rock and rock'n'roll T shirts, reggae's greatest hits and the 75 best cover versions. American cut pages.

Improvisation is a vital part of learning to perform and compose, but its importance has sometimes been forgotten in modern teaching. Making connections between the classical and jazz traditions, this extensive guide to the art takes pianists through exercises which develop the practical skills and theoretical knowledge that will help them to develop a personal style. An 80-track audio CD complements the text, illustrating different ways of varying well-known tunes.

Philip Norman's in-depth study of the Rolling Stones' front man sifts through the myths and legends to tell the story of the Dartford grammar school boy who rose to international fame and infamy. Paying tribute to his judgement and intelligence, the biography explores how Jagger helped to invent the role of the modern rock star and how he has maintained his prestige and that of his band for 50 years.

This step-by-step course in modern technique and styles takes the budding electric guitarist from the basics to advanced solo techniques in blues, rock, metal, indie, country and funk. The practice material is presented in both tab and notation, while the examples and exercises (including scales, arpeggios and chords) are demonstrated on the accompanying 94-track CD. The book also features simple but effective pro tips and an illustrated history of the instrument.

American-cut pages.

Crime writer and Handel enthusiast Donna Leon presents a collection of twelve Handel arias that make reference to animals, from the lion (Qual leon che fere irato from Arianna in Crete) to a turtle dove (Fuor di periglio from Floridante). For each animal there is an illustration by Michael Sowa, the words of the aria in Italian and English and a short essay on its significance. The arias are performed on the accompanying audio CD, with Alan Curtis conducting Il Complesso Barocco.

Horace Panter, the Specials' bass player, tells the story of the great 2-Tone band, from early days on the punk circuit to success following 'Too Much Too Young' and on to the final 'fizzle out in America'.

This study of ethnic theatrical representation at a time when the portrayal of Jews was changing significantly provides new perspectives on the cultural milieu, compositional strategies and operatic legacy of Joseph Haydn.

In this series of interrelated studies, Hirsch traces the influence of the archetypal 'lost paradise myth' on the origins and development of the Lied. Analysing in depth both the poetic and musical components of individual Lieder by Romantic composers from Schubert to Wolf and Mahler, she sets the songs in their biographical and cultural contexts and explores how they convey nostalgia for three 'lost worlds': classical antiquity, childhood and folk song.

From the trombones and French horns of the symphony orchestra to double bell euphoniums, Wagner tubas and jazzaphon trumpets, there is a wide array of sizes, shapes and designs in the brass family. This practical manual sets out to explain why the different instruments are designed the way they are, how they work and how they should be maintained and repaired. The technical maintenance and repair section includes detailed easy-to-follow instructions with step-by-step photographs.

Kildea's biography combines a detailed account of the composer's private and public life with readings of his works to produce a sensitive portrait of this great but troubled artist.

The 19 contributions to Britten's Century are by a range of performers, critics, biographers and colleagues of Britten. Analysing both his life and music, these stimulating essays and interviews cover subjects such as the work of the present-day Britten-Pears foundation, Dame Janet Baker's experiences performing under the composer's direction, pianist Roger Vignoles' insights into the five Canticles and Alan Bennett's reflections on his play about Britten and Auden.

Edited by his daughter, Hallo Sausages is the collected lyrics of Ian Dury, plus scrawled notes, dog-eared typescripts, candid snapshots and other fragments. With an accompanying CD of music and interviews.

Mervyn Cooke's illustrated history traces the roots of jazz to the American South in the late 19th century and, noting key performers and performances, explains the innovations that shaped the development of the music.

These 39 pieces for intermediate and advanced pianists include some of the greatest keyboard works of the era. Among the composers represented are Bach, Buxtehude, Couperin, Handel, Purcell and Scarlatti.

The earlier years of Sondheim's career involved collaborations with Leonard Bernstein and Jule Steyne on West Side Story and Gypsy and produced some of his most enduring creations as composer/lyricist with Company and Sweeney Todd. His commentary records his thoughts on the great lyricists of musical theatre and his experiences working with celebrated actors, producers and composers.

'Short enough to remember and portentous enough to be memorable', the opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony has been assigned all kinds of artistic, philosophical and political meanings during the two centuries since its composition. The First Four Notes is a survey of the Fifth's cultural influence in China, Russia and the United States, as well as its possible revolutionary origins and its use by both Allies and Nazis during the Second World War.

The second volume of collected lyrics includes the Pulitzer Prize-winning show Sunday in the Park with George, various film projects, unfinished fragments and special songs, and Into the Woods, recently revived in the film version starring Meryl Streep. As in volume 1, Sondheim's notes on the work, and about musical theatre and songwriting in general, are thoughtful, insightful and illuminating.

Singer Tony Bennett is also an accomplished painter whose work is held in the permanent collections of several American museums. The subjects of his paintings are the people he works with and the places he encounters as he tours the world. This handsome book includes his views of Central Park, Italian landscapes and portraits of jazz musicians, accompanied by Bennett's thoughts on his life and career and by a CD of six personal favourites from his recorded songs.

The Classic FM Hall of Fame is a top 300 chart of the popular radio station's most requested pieces. The selections range from stalwarts of the classical repertoire such as Mozart's Requiem and Vivaldi's The Four Seasons to celebrated film scores and British favourites such as Elgar's Cello Concerto and Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending. The book provides programme notes and recommended recordings for each of the pieces as well as profiles of the most important composers.

This amusing miscellany delves into hundreds of interesting corners of rock 'n' roll history, from Keith Moon's drum kit set- up to the relative quality of ex-Beatles' solo albums.

Although the German economy was in ruins, thanks to punitive war reparations and hyper-inflation, Berlin in the 1920s enjoyed a remarkable cultural renaissance. Embracing new musical, artistic and intellectual movements, artists reflected political tensions and social problems with ground-breaking art, theatre, film and, most characteristically, cabaret. With historical notes, a CD and sheet music, this book explores 21 of the Kabarett's most significant songs, including Lili Marleen and Kurt Weill's Mack the Knife.

Although Chopin left relatively little music, all involving the piano, a large proportion of it is still regularly performed and he has remained among the most beloved of all composers. This book provides commentary on all his works and offers a clear perspective on a complex and reserved character whose innermost feelings were expressed in his innovative music.

Part of Naxos' Life and Music series, this illustrated biography is accompanied by two audio CDs of recordings, presenting a representative selection of full movements from Chopin's works.

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) famously said that a symphony 'must embrace everything', and his own massive works create whole worlds of exceptional emotional range and imagination. Johnson explains the personal and cultural background to Mahler's music, helping the listener to understand how his songs and symphonies were so deeply affected by the joys and sufferings of his life.

Part of Naxos' Life and Music series, this illustrated biography is accompanied by two audio CDs of recordings, presenting a representative selection of full movements from Mahler's works.

As co-conductor and confidant for the last two decades of Stravinsky's life, Robert Craft had unique access to the composer and his archives. In this memoir he looks back at significant events in Stravinsky's career, touching on areas previously unexplored and reflecting on his relationships with other composers, family members and a host of cultural figures. The book comes with a CD containing the author's own recording of The Rite of Spring with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Despite his passionate, volatile and hypersensitive temperament, Tchaikovsky produced highly disciplined and enduringly popular music. Siepmann uses the words of the composer and his contemporaries to bring out his humanity, sensibility and humour, and sets out the cultural backgrounds behind Tchaikovsky's quest to reconcile the Western and Russian influences on his work.

Part of Naxos' Life and Music series, this illustrated biography of Tchaikovsky is accompanied by two audio CDs of recordings providing a representative selection of full movements from his works.

With his cycle of 'music dramas' Wagner created Western music's most ambitious work, but he remains controversial for the less pleasant aspects of his thinking, not least his anti-Semitism. In telling the story of the composer's life, Stephen Johnson sets out to show that 'what matters most about Wagner's work are the very aspects that make it greater than the man'.

Part of Naxos' Life and Music series, this illustrated biography is accompanied by two audio CDs of recordings, presenting a representative selection of full movements from Wagner's works.

Burns examines commercial and political aspects of the changing folk music industry, provides musicological analysis of the English folk-rock hybrid, and discusses audiences' reception of the genre.

This primer has encouraged generations to take up the guitar; volume one introduces the basics, from holding the instrument to reading notation and simple chords. With accompanying DVD.

Described as 'the greatest viola player of all time' on his death, Lionel Tertis (1876-1975) had risen from humble beginnings in Spitalfields and was virtually self-taught on the instrument 'despised' by other string players. This biography charts his long career and celebrates his inspiration of a new generation of violists through his activities as teacher, arranger, editor and performer of music for the instrument, especially those works which his artistry inspired from composers such as Bax, Walton and Vaughan Williams.

Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989) was one of the most influential English composers of the 20th century. This biography charts his life and career in his own words. After an introduction by Dickinson, who first met Berkeley in 1956, it presents its subject's account of the musical life of Paris between the wars, his letters to his teacher Nadia Boulanger, and his first-hand memories of fellow composers Ravel, Poulenc, Stravinsky and Britten, as well as Dickinson's interviews with Berkeley's colleagues and friends.