Four centuries of classical music present today's listener with a wealth of variety and choice that can often be as daunting as it is rewarding. This book offers suggestions on where to begin, what to expect and what to hear next, with a selection of a hundred composers and two dozen types of music, including some of the best and most enjoyable in the repertoire. The non-technical descriptions aim to show how the music reflects the composers' lives and the times in which it was written. More than a thousand individual works are covered, accompanied by follow-up listening suggestions and recommendations, and the book is intended both for those who wish to broaden their knowledge of classical music and for those exploring its realms for the first time.