"All Music Guide's" look at classical music is the definitive source for all things classical. Over 500 composer and 800 performer bios are here, from all the big names like Beethoven, Vivaldi and Bach to such left-field entries as Brian Eno and Pete Townshend (for ambient music, which had a heavy influence on the Minimalist movement and the modern spiritualists like Arvo Part and John Tavener, and the rock opera Tommy, respectively). Each artist entry has all you need to know, such as vital statistics, biography, and album recommendations. Thousands of composition descriptions, dating from the 11th century to the 21st, are covered, including operas, symphonies, concertos and ballets. 23 essays are also present, devoted to the major time periods, forms, and genres of in classical music. Choral works, songs, and other vocal works get their own sections, as do keyboard works, chamber music, and film scores. Perhaps best of all, over 11,000 albums of classical music are detailed.