Contents: Author's note. 1: i. Power and glory. ii. Baroquelle. iii. Mozartante. iv. Romantica. v. Troika. vi. Wagnerknights. 2: i. Soulitariness. ii. Requiem. iii. Formulations. 3: i. Curtain callers. ii. The composers. 4: i. Batonability. ii. Miracle makers. 5. Epilogue. 6. Requiem. 7. Text of the standard mass. 8. Essential classics. 9. Popular western classical music terms. Index.

"What were monophonic Gregorian Chants? Who codified them and when were they composed? Why did Western classical music become polyphonic during the Renaissance? What kind of music did Bach, Handel and Vivaldi compose during the Baroque period? When was Opera as a musical composition born? In how many languages were Operas composed and which are some of the most memorable Operas? Is Western classical music associated with only the classical period? Which European city was the hub of Western classic music at the time? What was the contribution of the Romantics to Western Classical music? What are some of Chopin's most famous compositions? How did the 20 century impact Western Classical music? Who were the famous conductors, tenors, divas or music critics of the last century? What is the fate of Western classical music today?

Beethoven and Friends by Kishore Chatterjee, presents the history of Western classical music through the unusual stories of the many lives that shaped it." (jacket)