This history of the music of the Baroque Era in Europe--roughly, from the 17th century through the first half of the 18th--covers the entire field, from Monteverdi and Schütz at its inception to the great works of Bach and Handel.--Adapted from publisher description.

Each chapter is written by a well-known scholar in the field. It covers, among others, Mozart, Scarlatti and Haydn.

"Dan Moller grew up listening to heavy metal in the Boston suburbs. But something changed when he dug out his mother's records of 'The Art of the Fugue, ' inexplicably wedged between 16 ABBA Hits and Kenny Rogers. Moller became fixated on Bach and his music, but only learned to play it for himself as an adult. In 'The Way of Bach, ' Moller draws us into the strange and surprisingly funny world of the composer and his milieu. Did you know 'The Goldberg...

Like any older sibling, Nannerl Mozart got to do things first and her younger brother, Wolfgang, wanted to be just like her. She played harpsichord, composed music, and even toured Europe to play concerts. Once Wolfie joined them, and she grew into her teens, her father insisted she stay home and become a wife -- married to a man with no love of music.