Essential Books

Hi people,

Would you list a couple of books that are essential to building a strong foundation in music understanding? I am a music student but I am not a composer, nevertheless, I love music and want to learn more about it. I highlight essential well, because as much as I wish, I do not have the time I'd like to dedicate to reading.

These books can be about history, theory, analysis, composition, and so on.

I am currently reading Kennan Kent Counterpoint based on 18th century practice.

Thanks!

This is a good question.

And because of that it has been raised many times here. Why don't you look in the forums archives. The other advantage is that you can narrow by topic, say harmony, and take your pick. Because what is essential (which is, due to its vagueness not a way of narrowing it down to a more manageable amount) is not an objective standard, but depends on your knowledge and interests...

As far as history goes, "The Rest is Noise" by Alex Ross is a terrific read if you're interested in 20th century music.