This new addition to the esteemed Norton Introduction to Music History series presents a broad and balanced survey of music and music making in the nations of Western Europe and their colonies in the baroque period. Providing both breadth and depth, the author illustrates how social, political and cultural forces contributed to the development of baroque musical styles and conventions, presenting the styles, genres and cultural meaning of the baroque through discussions of period music theory and analysis, court culture, and church Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Organised by national and regional schools and trends, the book also discusses previously neglected areas such as works by female composers; the music of Spain, Portugal and their colonies; and the music of France. The book and anthology are accompanied by a Web site providing an additional 46 works as printable scores.