From the romantic agonies of Hector Berlioz to the lonely labors of Anton Bruckner; From the cosmopolitan triumphs of George Frideric Handel to the politically fraught career of Dmitri Shostakovich, the lives of the great composers are as varied and multifaceted as the works of creative genius they produced. Biographical profiles of 50 of Western classical music's greatest composers are presented in chronological order in this elegant and informative survey. Each account describes the life, artistic development, and creative output of each composer and places their work within a historical and cultural context. Shortlists of must-hear masterpieces from each composer are also provided, making this a perfect resource for building a brilliant classical music collection. "