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Adrienne Fried Block provides insight into Mrs. Amy Beach in 'Amy Beach, passionate Victorian: the life and work of an American composer 1867-1944' to show her to be a wife first, and a composer second.

'Roberto Gerhard and his music' by Joachim Homs, and 'Gerhard on music: selected writings' by Meirion Bowen provide insight into this Anglo-Catalan composer of the twentieth century, and his criticism of Arnold Schoenberg.

The article discusses the possibility of more extended layers of meaning and symbolism in Gustav Mahler's Sixth Symphony and Edward Elgar's Second by proceeding beyond clues provided by the composers. It cites a range of musicological references and psychoanalytic sources mainly Sigmund Freud's "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" to show the idea of pleasure and joy turning to pain and tragedy. It notes that both works deal symbolically with traumas too painful to be expressed except via music.

The article offers information on the life and works of composer Sergei Prokofiev. It mentions that his working life largely consists of piano practice, proofreading, orchestrating and composing, interrupted by concert tours, performances and rehearsals. It states that the detailed accounts of Prokofiev of the genesis of his ballets "Le fils prodigue" and "Les pas d'acier" are invaluable and show the imaginative input into productions and music.

The article discusses the mystic modernist aspect in "Grande Messe des Mort," by French composer Hector Berlioz. It examines the distinctive feature in the "Hostias" and "Agnus Dei" movements of the "Grande Messe Des Morts" by Berlioz who lost the Catholic faith of his childhood but remained fascinated by timeless liturgy. It also explores the artistic expression, musical language, and expanded vision of musical space in Berlioz's "Grande Messe des Mort."