From Coethen to California explores instrumental Classical Music from the Renaissance up to the turn of the twenty-first century. The author takes an in-depth look at the major composers of the three types of instrumental music over this period: solo instrument, chamber music and orchestral music. Including dozens of recommendations for recordings and often providing historical context for the works, the book will appeal to fans new to Classical Music as well as fans looking to enhance the listening experience by learning more about the composers and the music. This book is intended for all those interested in classical music, from the casual fan to those who have developed a deep attachment to classical music. It is not aimed at someone brand new to classical music but meant to complement and provide more detail than books aimed at the newcomer. The book highlights the roughly two-hundred and fifty-year period from J.S. Bach’s appointment as Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold at Coethen in 1717 through Minimalism in the 1960s and 1970s, the stopping point being the ‘post-Minimalism’ of John Adams. Most of what is regarded as Western ‘classical’ music was written within this time frame. The periods of music across this time span are the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th century. There is some overlap and further subdivision, but these four are the most popular periods in classical music; although the Renaissance, which preceded the Baroque, has been undergoing a renaissance. The music from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods, dominates the catalogue and concert halls and its popularity shows no signs of diminishing. The music composed within this time forms the foundation of what we call ‘classical music’; however, great music came before and great music has followed. The material is divided into the three major types of classical instrumental music: music for solo instrument (Part 1), dominated by the piano sonata; chamber music (Part 2), which is intimate music for a small ensemble (e.g., piano trio, string quartet), and orchestral music (Parts 3-5), which includes the two huge categories of concertos and symphonies, as well as other orchestral forms. Because of the large amount and variety of orchestral music, it is divided into the Baroque and Classical periods (Part 3), the 19th century (Part 4) and the 20th century (Part 5). Most general surveys focus on orchestral works and give chamber and/or solo instrumental music short shrift. While orchestral music will inevitably get more attention than chamber or solo music in any survey, the intent here is to give solo and chamber music their fair share.
