Historical Dictionary of Choral Music 2nd Edition

I found the first edition of Mel Unger’s Dictionary a wonderful resource as I know it will have been for other conductors and singers, teachers and students, professionals and amateurs alike!

Working as a mixture of the above who never has enough time for the detailed research to which we all aspire, this book has been my constant and invaluable companion and I am delighted that there is now a second updated edition. Thank you Professor Unger!

This welcome new edition of Mel Unger’s Historical Dictionary of Choral Music 2nd Edition, like the first, will no doubt prove to be an indispensable resource for choral conductors and choral music enthusiasts, students and professionals alike. A wealth of practical information, carefully curated and organized by a seasoned conductor and teacher.

Unger has provided choral directors and musicologists with an expanded second edition of his Historical Dictionary of Choral Music (CH, Dec’10, 48-1810), first published more than a decade ago. Included are more than three-hundred additional entries for composers, choral directors, choral groups, and terms. New entries are not confined to contemporary personalities and ensembles; biographical commentaries dealing with less-known composers of the Renaissance, baroque, and classic periods who made important contributions to the choral repertoire are also included. As is the case with the first edition, composers whose choral works do not play a significant role in the international repertoire are omitted. Unger gives much attention to the bibliography, which is almost twice as long as that of the first edition. Most entries are for English-language sources, but there are also a few listings of important sources in German and other languages. Since this republication is an expanded rather than a revised edition, those who own the earlier edition should replace it with this one. A valuable resource for well-developed choral programs. Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals.

Melvin P. Unger is Director Emeritus of the School of Music at the State University of New York (Fredonia). He previously served as Director of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea Ohio. During his career in Canada and the USA, he has directed choirs of all types and ages.