THE LISTENER'S MUSICAL COMPANION

A readable book with entertainment and education to offer the novice or intermediate level music listener, this is nevertheless one man's book -- one crit view of the world of sound. Starting off with a few pointers on what to listen for in music by noting form and content in several compositions, he gos on to discuss individual composers, in a rather random sort of order (Mozart and the 13th Century follow Beethoven and Schubert, for example). To some he awards several pages:- to Berlioz, who deserves fuller recognition and with Musorgsky is the most original of 19th Century composers, he says; others, such as Brahma whom he feels is overrated, and Tchaikovsky, underrated, receive very brief attention. Mr. Haggin goes into the works of some composers and not into those of others; he notes that Bach and Mozart had their potboilers, scourges as meddlers those (he cites Rimsky-Korrakova and Stowkowski) who claim to represent composers', interests by editing. As a musical guide, he has many points to make -- the importance of great content as well as great form for the greatest art; in performance the separation of mastery of instrument and of music, are two. Discography with commentary.