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In 1893, the English composer and director of the Royal College of Music C. Hubert H. Parry published Summary of the Development of Medieval and Modern European Music, an overview of European music from the middle ages to the work of Schubert and Brahms. Intended for music students, the book summarises the major composers, their work and the social circumstances that surrounded the creation of their music. This ambitious book is divided into 12 chronological chapters, from the troubadours and plainsong, through Bach and Handel to the rise of the symphony, Mozart, and the emergence of music as an expression of nationalism. In the book's first part, Parry deftly puts music in historical context, discussing England's Wars of the Roses, and the Reformation in relation to the changing styles throughout the sixteenth century; he then explores the music of the Restoration and the rise of opera.

C. Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918), knighted in 1902 for his services to music, was a distinguished composer, conductor and musicologist. In the first of these roles he is best known for his settings of Blake's 'Jerusalem' and the coronation anthem 'I was glad'. He was an enthusiastic teacher and proselytiser of music, believing strongly in its ability to widen and deepen the experience of Man. This survey of European composers from Palestrina to Wagner was intended for the interested amateur, and begins with a rapid and somewhat dismissive survey of European music up to the Renaissance: each composer subsequently discussed is placed in the context of his time, and in a vigorously expressed conclusion, Parry argues for an aesthetic which recognises that some composers are great, others second-rate and yet others downright bad, and that it is essential that the listening public is able to make this distinction.

Sir Charles Halle (1819-95) was a German pianist and conductor. At the age of 17 he moved to Paris, where he spent twelve years studying and performing, while moving in circles which included Berlioz, Chopin, Liszt, de Musset and George Sand. In the revolutionary year 1848 he moved to London, where he initiated a series of piano recitals, playing first in his own home and later in St James's Hall, among which he gave the first performance in England of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas. In 1849 he moved to Manchester, and after forming an orchestra for a one-off event in 1857, he began to give regular concerts with it, and conducted it until his death: it is now the world-famous Halle Orchestra. In this fascinating book, edited by his son and daughter, Halle's autobiography is accompanied by a selection of letters and extracts from his diaries.

Scholar and composer Emil Naumann (1827-88) studied with Mendelssohn. This two-volume English translation of his best-known work was made by Ferdinand Praeger (1815-91) and published in 1888. Chapters on music in England have been added by its editor, the eminent Victorian musician Sir Frederick Gore Ouseley (1825-89).

A naturalist and Church of England clergyman, William Bingley (1774-1823) wrote widely on botany, topography and zoology. This two-volume publication, which first appeared in 1814, is one of his many works of compilation. It covers chiefly Italian, German and British musicians of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

German actress Minna Planer (1809-66) was Wagner's first wife. Their marriage, never an easy one, lasted until her death. This fascinating collection of letters, translated by Wagner enthusiast William Ashton Ellis (1852-1919), appeared in 1909. It offers an intriguing and intimate view of this larger-than-life composer.

Beethoven was a prolific letter writer, with thousands of examples surviving to this day. This illustrated collection of more than 1,200, published in English translation in 1909, includes the 'Heiligenstadt Testament', one of many documents that provide valuable insights into the mind of a musical genius.

Beethoven was a prolific letter writer, with thousands of examples surviving to this day. This two-volume collection, in English translation, appeared in 1866 and includes the 'Heiligenstadt Testament', one of many documents providing us with startling and personal insights into the character and preoccupations of a musical genius.

Viennese lawyer Heinrich Kreissle von Hellborn (1812-69) was the first of the composer Schubert's biographers. This 1869 English translation of the 1865 original is by Arthur Duke Coleridge, founder of the Bach Choir, and it contains an appendix by George Grove on his rediscovery of several manuscripts of Schubert's works.

Pianist and composer Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870) was a central figure in European musical life. This two-volume biography, compiled by his wife Charlotte from diaries and letters, records his dealings with many great musicians of the time, including Mendelssohn. Reissued here is the 1873 English translation.

Anton Schindler (1795-1864), violinist and Beethoven's unpaid private secretary, published his biography of the composer in 1840. This 1841 English translation was enhanced by additional material provided by the pianist Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870). Despite inaccuracies, it remains an important source of first-hand information.

First published in 1773, and reissued here in its 1775 second edition, this account by Charles Burney (1726-1814) traces one of the journeys he undertook to research his General History of Music. It provides invaluable first-hand insight into European musical life and practices in the eighteenth century.

Covent Garden's Theatre Royal first opened its doors in 1732 and exists now as one of the world's great opera houses. Published in 1906, this richly illustrated two-volume account by Henry Saxe Wyndham (1867-1940) celebrates the venue's legendary personalities and productions. Volume 1 covers the period 1732 to 1819.

Published in 1872, this two-volume autobiography by the playwright J. R. Planche tells the story of his long and varied working life in the theatre. Containing many anecdotes about the famous figures Planche worked with, the volumes provide a fascinating glimpse into the Regency and early Victorian stage in London.

Adolf Bernhard Marx (1795-1866) was a German composer, music critic and university teacher. His influential publications included this two-volume study, published in 1863, of the radical innovations in operatic composition that Gluck had pioneered a century earlier. Marx's account is chronologically organised, and includes biographical details and music examples.

Michael Kelly (1762-1826) was an Irish singer and composer who studied music in Italy and performed all over Europe. He later joined London's Theatre Royal as both performer and composer. Volume 1 of his 1826 autobiography is a charming and event-filled account of his early life and musical training.

The 'Swedish Nightingale', as soprano Jenny Lind (1820-87) was known, captivated opera audiences throughout Europe. Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918) and William Smith Rockstro (1823-95) used Lind's letters and diaries for this two-volume memoir, published in 1891. Volume 1 discusses her childhood and rise to fame.

Sir John Hawkins (1719-1789), a lawyer and member of the Academy of Ancient Music, published his pioneering five-volume history in 1776 just after the first volume of Burney's. Despite Hawkins' work suffering badly in the resulting competition between the two, it is nonetheless of indispensable value to music scholars.

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) was one of the most original and colourful composers of his generation. The letters reflect the man - exuberant, imaginative, idealistic, opinionated and witty - and give us a fascinating, first-hand, insight into his life. This two-volume selection includes letters to family, friends and fellow musicians.

Charles Burney (1726-1814), the music historian, is best remembered for his General History and the accounts of his tours in Europe during which he undertook research for the History. The work is elegantly written, offering a fascinating view of Burney's musical enthusiasms and a reflection of contemporary taste.

This biography, first published in 1796, recounts the life of Italian poet and librettist Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782). Alternating biographical narrative with translations of the poet's correspondence, it provides a faithful account of Metastasio's complex life and affairs. Volume 1 covers Metastasio's life from his early childhood until 1751.

This three-volume book, first published in 1841, originated in a journal written by the music critic Chorley while travelling in Europe. His aim was to 'illustrate the present state of theatrical, orchestral, and chamber music abroad'. Volume 1 describes his visits to Paris and Brunswick, focusing on opera.

This is the first of two volumes originally published in 1862 in which the long-time music critic of The Athaneum gives a year-by-year commentary on the European operas, ballets, singers and dancers popular in London from 1830 to 1859. Volume 1 covers the period 1830-1847.

This fascinating two-volume selection, published in 1888, demonstrates importance to Wagner of the encouragement of Liszt - an established performer when Wagner was barely known and widely ridiculed, a musical mentor, an enthusiastic critic and eventually a father-in-law.

This two-volume survey of German music, from 1854, offers lively descriptions of the musical life of German cities, and extended essays on Spohr, Beethoven, Schubert and Mendelssohn, but Chorley is by no means an uncritical observer, noting with concern the rise of nationalism in Germany after 1848.

The writer, composer and organist Thomas Busby (1754-1838) published this three-volume work in 1825. Gossipy, informative and highly entertaining, it yields all manner of insights into musical life through history. The anecdotes are presented across the three volumes as a delightful potpourri, interspersed with pen portraits of eminent musicians.

Cecilia, a martyr of the early Christian church, has traditionally been honoured as the patron saint of music and has inspired many composers, notably Henry Purcell and Benjamin Britten. This captivating 1857 work presents a carefully researched survey of the musical events and poetry celebrating her feast day, 22 November.

First published in 1771, this account by Charles Burney (1726-1814) traces one of the journeys he undertook as part of his research for his most famous work, A General History of Music. It provides invaluable first-hand insight into European musical life and practices in the eighteenth century.

Nephew of Felix Mendelssohn, Sebastian Hensel (1830-98) prepared this account of one of the nineteenth century's most celebrated musical families. Reissued here is the two-volume 1881 translation of the German revised second edition. Containing valuable source material, Volume 2 covers the period 1836-47.

Nephew of Felix Mendelssohn, Sebastian Hensel (1830-98) prepared this account of one of the nineteenth century's most celebrated musical families. Reissued here is the two-volume 1881 translation of the German revised second edition. Containing valuable source material, Volume 1 covers the period 1729-1835.