Fidler and James have edited a guide that characterizes and evaluates, in depth, the leading journals throughout the musical professions. The listings number some 170 titles, selected for their historical as well as contemporary significance. . . . [T]his guide makes a significant contribution to the literature and is recommended for all academic libraries.

Choice

International Music Journals is an international and cross-disciplinary guide to periodical literature in music. It deals not only with scholarly journals, but with those journals important to the music profession, from flautists and theorists, to musicologists and educators. Thus, in addition to journals representing the traditional fields of music scholarship (musicology, ethnomusicology, theory, therapy, and education), those publications important to various areas of music performance, composition, popular music, discography, and librarianship are included.

Within this broad scope, approximately 200 of the most important titles are treated extensively. Each entry addresses five general aspects of the journal: historical background (founding and intent, editors, publishers, frequency, title, and title changes); physical description (format, illustrations); contents (subject area(s), scope, features, special issues); critical assessment (intended audience, level and quality, editorial policy, impact, innovations, outstanding issues, and articles); and bibliography (external indexes, reviews of or articles on the journal). In addition to the major entries, the book also features an introductory essay on and bibliography of the history of music periodicals; an appendix of significant journals inaugurated since 1980; a chronology; biographical notes on the contributors; and an extensive index by title, title variants, editors, general topic, geographical region, and publisher. This will be an essential tool for everyone interested in any aspect of music.

LINDA M. FIDLER is Assistant Professor and Head of the Music Library at Bowling Green State University. She has contributed articles and reviews to Notes, Critical Studies in Mass Communications, and Library Quarterly, co-edited both the Directory of Music Library Instruction Programs in the Midwest Chapter of Music Library Association and Historical Sets, Monuments of Music and Collected Editions in the Cleveland Area Music Libraries. She has also presented papers at national and regional meetings of the Music Library Association and College Music Society. Her areas of research include bibliographic instruction, the origins of operetta, and vocal chamber music. In addition to her teaching and research, Fidler, a clarinetist, is also a professional musician.

RICHARD S. JAMES teaches musicology, music appreciation, and early music performance at Bowling Green State University. As a twentieth-century music specialist, he has done extensive research on the origins of electronic music, Edgar Varese, Maurice Ravel, and post-1950 multimedia trends, particularly the ONCE group. He has contributed articles and reviews on a wide variety of topics in twentieth-century French and American music to Musical Quarterly, The New Grove Dictionary of Music, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, American Music, Journal of Musicological Research, and a festschrift honoring Professor Gwynn McPeek. He has also presented at the national meetings of the American Musicological Society, College Music Society, and the American Society of University Composers. James is an active chamber musician and plays the recorder.