Includes indexes.

Contents: Introduction -- The Materials and elements of music: Characteristics of sounds -- Sources of musical sound -- Mediums of music -- Elements of music -- Texture in music -- The Forms and genres of music: Small homophonic forms -- Large homophonic forms -- Polyphonic forms -- Variation forms -- Multimovement forms -- Free and miscellaneous forms -- Program music -- Dramatic music; opera -- Dramatic music: Ballet and incidental -- Song forms -- Choral forms and religious music -- The Periods and styles of muisc: Music before 1600 -- The Baroque period (1600- 1750) -- The Viennese classic period (1750-1825) -- The Romantic age (1815- 1900) -- Nationalism and impressionism -- Modern music to 1950 -- The New music -- Jazz -- Folk and popular music -- The Music of other cultures -- Appendix.