ABOUT THIS BOOK

I have decided to set out these concert notes alphabetically by the names of the composers. This means you can look Beethoven up under 'B', without having to know whether he was Classical or Romantic.

The works described are all fairly mainstream orchestral works, the type of repertoire that our orchestras concentrate on. You may wonder why, for example, there is very little Bach and no Bruckner. It is because works by these composers are not often included in symphony concerts, for reasons such as the specialised Baroque style of performance required for Bach and the unusually large orchestra for which Bruckner wrote his symphonies. Also, my selection is unashamedly subjective: these are all works I can write about with sincere personal enthusiasm.

The book is designed to be a handy and easy-to-use resource as you prepare to go to a concert, or even if you happen to be listening at home - to a CD, or perhaps to a local classical music radio station. If you need more detail, most CDs include detailed programme notes and even, sometimes, quite complex analyses. Of course an internet search will give you as much detail as you want.

My approach to writing these notes has been to demystify the great classics and make them accessible. As I always say at my pre-concert talks, of course you can sit back and let the music wash over you, but isn't it much more rewarding to know something about the form and structure of a work so that you can follow the composer's logic and argument? When we read a novel or watch a play, we become absorbed by the different characters and their interaction. In the same way we can learn to identify the first and second subjects of a symphony and marvel at the way the composer develops them.

Most symphonies and concertos are structured in what is known as 'sonata form' in the first movement. It would be well worth your while to read up on this most effective form, but let me whet your appetite by saying that the general layout of sonata form is: a slow introduction; the exposition, in which the composer presents us with his two main contrasting themes; the development section; the recapitulation, in which we hear the material again after the development, usually with some subtle changes; and a coda to end.

This format was more or less established by Haydn and Mozart in the Classical period and then expanded by Beethoven, thus opening the floodgates of Romanticism.

One of the marvellous things about classical music, apart from its ability to inspire and uplift, and to provoke thoughtfulness and contemplation, is the variety of styles and periods that make it up. Strictly speaking, the term 'Classical' applies to music of a specific genre. But we often talk generically of 'classical music', meaning all the music we listen to at concerts and recitals and on the radio and internet, spanning about four hundred years ranging from the Renaissance, through the Baroque and Rococo periods, into the Classical period and on to the Romantics. Then come Impressionism and the atonal period known as the 'Second Viennese School' and, alongside that, the 20th-century composers of music that is more conventional, if a little modern and dissonant at times.

So the music lover has a vast palette of styles to enjoy, because the music of each period sounds quite different once you begin to listen properly. This is quite apart from the various genres of composition, for example symphonies, concertos, opera, chamber music and solo instrumental.

If we begin in the Renaissance, we are naturally leaving out a fair amount of important historical development that took place before that, as far back as 800 AD, when Gregorian chant was being developed for use in the church. In fact, the church has played a huge role in the history of music. Religion, of course, has been a major source of inspiration for composers over the centuries, and the church as an institution has also commissioned music, and given musicians protection and employment. A dictionary of music will tell you that the Renaissance period in music lasted from about 1430 to the end of the 16th century, but as with all historical periods in art, there were significant overlaps. The Renaissance signalled the rejection by intellectuals of the Middle Ages and, for artists, a desire for a smoother, less complex style. The music of Josquin, Palestrina, Lassus and Byrd will give you a good idea of how things sounded in those days. There is a kind of distilled purity to the music: in the right atmosphere, the effect can cause one to lapse into a kind of religious trance.

The Baroque period grew out of the Renaissance towards the end of the 16th century and dominated the music scene quite spectacularly for the next hundred and fifty years or so, until about 1750, which is the year in which JS Bach died. Musically, the style began taking shape in Italy, but it soon extended pretty well all over Europe and into England. It became quite the rage, with composers such as Monteverdi and Gabrieli proving that the style was bold and colourful. Heinrich Schütz in Germany explored the glorious choral potential of the new style, and his music was to influence Bach at the end of the period. Lully and Rameau in France composed richly ornamented operas, while Purcell in England excelled to such a degree that it was some centuries before England could claim such a prominent place on the musical map again. However, Handel - or Händel - the German was on hand to keep the English aristocracy happy with his many operas and oratorios. Vivaldi in Italy composed a remarkable amount of music and put his stamp on the characteristic sound by which we recognise the Baroque today. The period ended with the great masterpieces of JS Bach.

In the Classical period, the excesses of Baroque ornamentation disappeared, replaced by an attempt at balance and restraint. The short Rococo period, which formed a bridge between the Baroque and the Classical, helped towards this aim. The Rococo style originated in a movement to bring gracefulness and elegance to French architecture. It is difficult to pinpoint a particular Rococo composer, but if you sample some of the later operas of Rameau or the music of Couperin, you will get the general idea. Pergolesi is also sometimes regarded as a Rococo composer, but the boundaries of the style are somewhat blurred.

A great deal of musical development took place during the Classical period, and the world-famous works of Mozart and Haydn stand at the pinnacle of the Classical tradition. The four-movement symphony was perfected - by Haydn and then by Mozart - as was the string quartet. Haydn has been called 'father of the string quartet' and 'father of the symphony', and his achievements in developing shapes and styles of music can never be overestimated. In fact, it's a pity that Mozart has overshadowed Haydn in the annals of history, because Haydn's music is a constant revelation. His 104 symphonies took the symphonic genre from, essentially, the Baroque concerto grosso to the formidable, four-movement symphonic entity it became. On the other hand, Mozart's extraordinary creativity and genius never fail to astonish. He perfected the piano concerto form and his operas are masterpieces.

After Mozart and Haydn, Beethoven had to turn another way. Once again, history saw to it that the right person came along at just the right time - a person so inspired and visionary that he took the art he loved so much by the throat and thrust it into a new century and a new sound world. His five piano concertos, nine symphonies, thirty-two piano sonatas and eighteen string quartets shook the artistic world as Napoleon thundered through Vienna. The gates of Romanticism in music were flung open dramatically, and music and its place in history were never to be the same.

Generally speaking - and, of course, with an element of hindsight - the Romantic period in art could be described as consisting of individual expression, powerful emotions, the glorification of sensuality and even a flirtation with the supernatural. It lasted from around 1800 to 1900, in which period composers became more independent, as they no longer needed to rely on patronage. It was a period that also saw the rise of virtuosi such as Liszt and Paganini. Chromaticism began to be used more freely, and form became more flexible: the grace and clarity, balance and structure of the Classical period were now somewhat less important than subjective expression. After Beethoven came Schubert, Schumann, Weber, Chopin, Mendelssohn . and others.

In the middle of this period, Berlioz startled the world with his vast orchestra and vivid orchestration in works like the Symphonie fantastique. From there, Liszt and Wagner moved away from the strictly Beethovenian approach and into a world of more literal composition based on heroic scenes: hence the arrival of the tone poems of Liszt, and Wagner's music dramas. Interestingly, Brahms decided to retain the Beethoven model and to eschew what he saw as the excesses of Wagner and Liszt.

During the Romantic period, Debussy established what became known as Impressionism, while composers such as Tchaikovsky and Dvo?rák were characterised as nationalist composers, since they included folk colour...