Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians
Theodore Baker, PhD, published the first edition of his Biographical Dictionary of Musicians in 1900. This initial volume contained 647 pages plus an Appendix of five additional pages. The book featured 300 portraits drawn in ink by Russian artist Alexander Gribayédoff. These images were created from existing portraits or photographs. Baker had previously compiled three editions of A Dictionary of Musical Terms between 1895 and 1897 for the same publisher. G. Schirmer, Inc. released this early work as a single-volume reference tool. The dictionary established a baseline for biographical accuracy that would evolve over decades.
Nicolas Slonimsky took over editing duties for the fifth edition in 1958 after Theodore Baker's death. He expanded the work to 1,855 pages during this revision process. Slonimsky remained editor through the eighth edition in 1992. His approach involved verifying birth and death dates using archival sources. He corrected existing entries with considerable effort to ensure factual precision. The fourth edition published in 1940 already showed increased representation of American and Latin-American musicians compared to other English works of its time. Slonimsky continued expanding coverage to include female musicians, Asian composers, multimedia artists, and ethnomusicologists in later revisions. His influence shaped both the style and content of the dictionary for nearly half a century.
The ninth edition appeared in 2001 under the title Centennial Edition. This version broke from tradition by becoming a six-volume set instead of a single book. The expansion resulted from broader subject matter and more generous formatting designed to improve readability. Volume one covered names from Aalt to Cone while volume six ended with Stre to Zyli. The publisher also released an eBook version in 2007 alongside a PDF format. Coverage now included significant attention to popular music and jazz genres previously less emphasized. Laura Diane Kuhn, PhD, born in 1953, edited this final major update. She oversaw the creation of indexes covering genre, nationality, and women contributors across all volumes.
G. Schirmer, Inc. served as the original publisher starting with the first edition in 1900. Macmillan Inc. acquired the company in 1969. Music Sales Corporation of London purchased G. Schirmer except for its reference holdings in 1986. Today Gale, a division of Cengage Learning, owns Schirmer Reference materials. This corporate lineage reflects changes in how musical reference works are distributed and managed over time. Despite ownership shifts, the core biographical content remained consistent through each transition period. The publisher maintained continuity even as business structures evolved around it.
Earlier works like John Weeks Moore's Complete Encyclopedia of Music appeared in Boston during 1844. George Grove edited A Dictionary of Music and Musicians in London in 1879. Oscar Lee Thompson led the International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians published by Dodd Mead and Company in New York in 1939. Baker's Dictionary distinguished itself through expanded coverage of American and Latin-American musicians compared to contemporaneous English works. Later encyclopedias often focused on different scopes or methodologies than Slonimsky's revisions. The Portable Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians emerged in 1988 as an abridged version. These comparisons highlight how Baker's work adapted to changing needs within music scholarship while maintaining its status as a major reference source.
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Common questions
When did Theodore Baker publish the first edition of his Biographical Dictionary of Musicians?
Theodore Baker published the first edition of his Biographical Dictionary of Musicians in 1900. This initial volume contained 647 pages plus an Appendix of five additional pages.
Who edited the fifth edition of the Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians starting in 1958?
Nicolas Slonimsky took over editing duties for the fifth edition in 1958 after Theodore Baker's death. He expanded the work to 1,855 pages and remained editor through the eighth edition in 1992.
What is the full title and publication year of the ninth edition of the Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians?
The ninth edition appeared in 2001 under the title Centennial Edition. Laura Diane Kuhn, PhD, born in 1953, edited this final major update which became a six-volume set.
Which company currently owns the Schirmer Reference materials from the Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians?
Today Gale, a division of Cengage Learning, owns Schirmer Reference materials. Macmillan Inc. acquired G. Schirmer, Inc. in 1969 before Music Sales Corporation purchased it except for its reference holdings in 1986.
How many volumes does the Centennial Edition of the Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians contain?
The ninth edition broke from tradition by becoming a six-volume set instead of a single book. Volume one covered names from Aalt to Cone while volume six ended with Stre to Zyli.