A masterful and original classical composer as well as a renowned composer of film scores, Ernst Toch (1887–1964) made a permanent contribution to music in this important and widely praised book. Based on a series of lectures given at Harvard in 1944 and first published in 1948, this book is a brilliant examination of the materials and concepts that are the basic building blocks of music — harmony, melody, counterpoint, and form.

An admirable reconciliation of traditional and modern (mainly 1...