The primary audience of this guide is more the average classical fan who has limited musical knowledge but an interest in learning chamber music in more depth and following the form and details within each movement. For each work, Berger presents a brief-but-usually-interesting historical prelude, followed by 'play-by-play' highlights of each movement as to its structure, harmony patterns and distinguishing features. While each description is not long, there is enough condensed information to give a definate sense to the flow of the piece and what makes it unique. The writing style is interesting to read without being overly poetic, intimidating or condesending. Berger has a wonderful gift of communicating the most interesting information in the smallest space which is essential in such a guide. One example of this is the brief but excellent glossary at the end which contains really clear definitions of musical terms in only one or two lines.
Overall, this guide should be a staple in the library of the chamber enthusiast and it is inexpensive as well. It is my most used guide when listening. Musicians too can benefit from this book as an intro to some works but it will not likely satisfy them with enough details as to the score. While a healthy amount (or all) of each composer's chamber works are represented in this volume, the sonatas for one or two instruments are not. These are covered in a different book by Berger: "Guide to the Sonatas," which unfortunately is a very short book that tends to leave one wanting for more descriptions and details. |
| Two plus points here: Berger possesses keen musical insight into the works he discusses, and writes with clarity and enthusiasm without either oversimplifying or condescending to the technically challenged. The other great thing about this book is that it's the only thing of it's kind that I'm aware of that's currently in print. On the downside, contrary to the publisher's review above, GUIDE TO CHAMBER MUSIC is most emphatically NOT comprehensive. First of all, no chamber music that employs less than three instruments is included. That's right: No Beethoven Violin Sonatas and no Prokofiev Sonatas and no Martinu Cello Sonatas (not to mention the fact there's no Martinu). Worse, there's a staggering abundance of wonderful music that does employ three instruments or more that is simply left out. For example, look up any composer in the book -- for the sake of argument, let's say Faure. The only listing given on Faure is for his C Minor Piano Quartet. In other words, aside from the annoying exlusion of Faure's wonderful Violin and Cello Sonatas (which, of course, violate the restriction against two instruments), there's no mention of either Faure's other piano quartet, his two piano quintets, his piano trio or his ethereal and otherworldly string quartet. And that's just for Faure. I'm sure this book has its reasons for excluding many delightful and important works in the classical canon. But whatever those reasons are, they make for an emphatically uncomprehensive -- and thus unsatisfactory -- overview of the chamber repertory. Still, all things considered, I'm glad to have it for what it DOES include. |
