Following on from the success of Brief Lives, published in 1997, and Political Lives, Stage and Screen Lives, and Literary Lives, published in 2001, Musical Lives, which will publish alongside three other titles, Royal Lives, Secret Lives, and Military Lives, will be a welcome addition to theseries to anyone with an interest in musical biographies.Who were the singers, musicians, composers, instrumentalists, and conductors who made the music of the 20th century? What inspired Benjamin Britten to compose Peter Grimes? How did music save Malcolm Sargent when he lost his daughter to polio? What is the link between Vaughan Williams and CharlesDarwin? What did Edward Elgar do for classical music in Britain? Could any of the members of the Beatles actually read or write music when they first came together?Nicholas Kenyon, with a long-standing career in music and a wealth of knowledge and experience, has carefully selected around 100 entries from the Dictionary of National Biography to go in this lively and entertaining anthology. To complement his choices he has written an introduction outlining thereasons behind the selection he has made, this in itself a pleasure to read.The entries in this collection create in one single volume 100 or so lively portraits of some of the men and women who made their mark on the world of music during the last century. Full of insight and wit, written by the famous on the famous, these mini-biographies make a fascinating and variedread.Entries include:Donald Mitchell on Peter PearsChristopher Hogwood on David MunrowRoy Henderson on Kathleen FerrierYehudi Menuhin on Jacqueline Du PreThomas Armstrong on Malcolm SargentJack Brymer on Thomas Beecham