An Illustrated Directory of Musical Instruments and a History of the Orchestra

A comprehensive encyclopedia of musical instruments, covering all sections of the orchestra: strings, woodwind and brass, percussion, keyboards and the voice, as well rarer and more unusual instruments in each family.
A history of music-making, beginning with man’s first discovery of music and its development in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, India, China and Japan, charting key turning points such as the invention of musical notation, the development of piston and rotary valves, and the design-of the concave bow. Includes the evolution of the orchestra – from medieval consorts, baroque and classical orchestras, through to today’s modern instruments and their relatives. Features famous players and their instruments, well-known orchestras and concert halls, and the role of the composer and the conductor.