Can anyone suggest me good books for improving knowledge (and performance) of 19th and 20th century music?
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What instrument? Level? Country of origin? – speedfranklin Oct 21 '14 at 19:44
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Orchestral, opera genres. High level. Western world. – user1403546 Oct 30 '14 at 15:54
The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz. Everyman's Library Edition is excellent.
This is an amazing book, not a history book, but a book that describes in vivid detail the emotions that inspired Berlioz's music, and gives a detailed account of what his life was like as a major composer in 19th century Europe. Most importantly, it is a very entertaining read.