A Dictionary of Music Titles

Publisher: McFarland Editions
The Origins of the Names and Titles of 3,500 Musical Compositions
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 304

The title of a great musical composition is not always a clear or simple matter. An allusive title, particularly in a foreign language, or a title that does not seem related to the work, can confuse even the most devoted music lover.
Here are histories of the creation of 3,500 titles for symphonies, operas, oratorios, ballets, orchestral works, choral works, chamber music, keyboard compositions, and songs, ranging from the popular to the obscure. Each entry (arranged by English, French, German, Italian or Spanish title) includes alternate titles where appropriate, the composer’s name, date of composition and first performance, opus number where appropriate, a description of the work, and the origin of the title or any story behind it.
A bibliography and an index conclude the work.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction      
2. Music Titles    
3. Bibliography     
4. Index of Composers