The Oxford Dictionary of Musical Terms

Printed music and writing about music involve the use of complex systems of notation and a wealth of technical terms in several languages. The Oxford Dictionary of Musical Terms provides clear, succinct, definitions of a comprehensive range of the musical terms, in English and other European languages, that are likely to be encountered in Western music, including in jazz and popular musical genres. Over 2,500 A-Z entries range across a spectrum of subjects, among them: rhythm, meter, forms, genres, pitch, scales, chords, harmony and counterpoint, notational systems, composition and analysis, performance practice, tempo, expression, musical periods, artistic movements, computer applications, acoustics, and many more. Entries provide etymologies, and are fully cross-referenced. Some are illustrated with music examples and tables. An appendix lists all composers mentioned in the Dictionary , with their dates. An ideal book for composers, professional musicians, those learning to play musical instruments, and members of choirs and musical groups, the Dictionary is also be a useful quick reference book for concert-goers, CD-collectors, and radio listeners.

Alison Latham is a writer and editor of music reference books. She is the editor of The Oxford Companion to Music (2002), and was a member of the editorial team of the multi-volume New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1980 edn). She was also assistant editor of The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, co-editor (with Stanley Sadie) of The Cambridge Guide to Music and (with Roger Parker) of Verdi in Performance. She was publications editor at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, from 1989 to 2000, and has co-edited The Musical Times.