<<<  <<  -- 2 --  Howard Smith    IMBUED WITH QUALITY

There's a guide to the graves of major composers, details of eight composers' museums and descriptions of three exhibitions displaying artifacts and information from earliest times to exhibits and information held within the Arnold Schönberg Centre.

From the founding of the Hofkapelle in 1498, learn about the opera houses, musical theatres, the grand events -- strands in the fabric of this 'capital' of European opera, symphony, chamber music and operetta.

Naturally all this would be incomplete without the section devoted to legendary orchestras and choirs from the indomitable Vienna Philharmonic and beloved Vienna Boys Choir to the Wiener Kammerorchester, the Klangforum Wien and Concentus Musicus Wien.

To include today's cavalcade of composers, producers, directors, conductors, choirmasters, choreographers, famed singers and instrumentalists who work or visit here would take a separate volume.

But as a reliable introduction to musical Vienna from the 17th to 20th centuries in less than 250 pages, this is more than adequate. Highly recommended.