A History of Western Music

The Definitive Standard for Western Music History

Now in its landmark tenth edition, A History of Western Music by Burkholder, Grout, and Palisca is the premier college-level music history textbook used in universities globally. Combining chronological historical narratives with deep stylistic analyses and cultural context, the book chronicles the evolution of Western music from antiquity to the 21st century.

Core Pedagogical Themes

• Chronological Stylistic Analysis: Thoroughly tracks the evolution of musical forms, notation, and styles across key eras:
  • Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Chant, Polyphony, Troubadours)
  • Renaissance (Masses, Madrigals, Sacred Polyphony)
  • Baroque (Opera, Concertos, Fugues, Bach and Handel)
  • Classical (Symphonies, String Quartets, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven)
  • Romantic (Lieder, Program Music, Grand Opera, Brahms, Wagner)
  • Modern and Contemporary (Impressionism, Atonality, Serialism, Minimalism, and Global Synthesis)
• Deep Historical & Social Context: Explains how political shifts, religious conflicts, scientific discoveries, and technological advancements directly shaped musical composition and performance practices.
• Anthology & Score Studies: Integrates with the massive Norton Anthology of Western Music to provide detailed, measure-by-measure analytical studies of benchmark compositions.
• Diverse Perspectives: Contemporary editions feature expanded coverage of women composers, diverse cultural influences, and vernacular genres, presenting a comprehensive history.