Beginning with Stravinsky and "The Rite of Spring," this book traces the course of classical music from the early twentieth century to the present day and beyond, as it moves into the twenty-first century. This elucidating text covers the major figures in music of the past hundred years, from Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Varese, and Webern to Boulez, Cage, Henze, and Stockhausen. Describing a dramatic revolution against music traditional and a new artistic sensibility, this book offers a guided tour and a concise analysis of the major trends in classical music.