¿De qué hablaban Mozart y Da Ponte mientras componían? ¿Qué palabras amargas se dijeron Verdi y el duque de Rivas frente al Teatro Real de Madrid en la víspera de estrenar La forza del destino? ¿Por qué dejaron de compartir habitación Musorsgky y Rimsky-Korsakov? ¿Tenía envidia Haendel de Bach, o tenía miedo, o solo le dio pereza recibirle y por eso nunca llegaron ni a saludarse? ¿Cómo se tomaba Liszt las críticas de Berlioz? ¿Qué dijo Schubert, un poco borracho, el día del entierro de Beethoven? Las respuestas a estas preguntas... no las tenemos con certeza. Pero el autor de este libro las ha imaginado ayudado por las cartas, las biografías, los testimonios de la época y la obra de los compositores y artistas que protagonizan este libro. Con verdadera admiración y cariño hacia sus personajes, buen pulso narrativo, sentido del humor y atención al detalle, Santiago Miralles Huete firma 24 preludios (y una inesperada "fuga" final) que componen una historia de la música clásica. Alternativa, literaria, imaginada si se quiere, pero fiel y documentada. Un verdadero festín para melómanos de todos los géneros y todas las edades.

In Uniting Music and Poetry in Twentieth-Century Spain, Nelson R. Orringer uses both literary and musical analysis to study sung poems in twentieth-century Spain. In nine chapters, each focusing on an individual sung poem, song cycle, or various poems set by the same composer, Orringer enriches and deepens interpretations of the art-songs by comparing the poet's vision to the composer's. In examining composers such as Falla, Turina, Mompou, Toldrà, Rodrigo, Montsalvatge, and Rodolfo Halffter, Orringer shows that Spanish art-song is an exceptional product of Spain’s Silver Age and reveals a new way to understand and appreciate poems set to music in twentieth-century Spain.

As the first book of its kind, Nancy Lee Harper’s Portuguese Piano Music: An Introduction and Annotated Bibliography fills the gap in the historical record of Portuguese piano music from its start in the 18th century to the present. While although Spanish piano music is well documented owing to the reputation of such composers as Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados, and Manuel de Falla, our knowledge of compositions in the tradition of Portuguese piano music has not fared as well, barring the work of Carlos Seixas (1704–1742). This obscurity, however, reflects poorly on the history of early piano music in light of the many compositions written for fortepiano on behalf of the Portuguese court during the first half of the 18th century. Indeed, it was in the royal halls of King John V during his reign from 1706 to 1750 where the early fortepiano was frequently heard. In Portuguese Piano Music, Harper explores this rich musical tradition, offering a brief introduction to the pianistic history of Portugal and overviews of Portugal’s contributions to solo piano music, piano in instrumental chamber music, piano concerti, piano for multiple pianists including with works with electronics, and didactic piano. While paying close attention to female composers, Harper adds an annotated and graded bibliography that presents readers with a comprehensive inventory of compositions. Appendixes include a selected discography, list of publishers, and other types of critical source information. To further illustrate its contents, Portuguese Piano Music contains a CD on which Harper performs representative repertoire, some of which are world premieres. This work is aimed at pianists, teachers, pupils, musicologists, and music lovers seeking to discover the remarkable world of Portuguese piano music.