Since it was first published in 1963, Robert Donington's classic text has become the standard of reference for all would-be performers , students, and amateurs of baroque music.

Organized for the greatest clarity, the study consists of four main "books," respectively entitled Style, The Notes, The Expression, and The Instruments. Each book is divided into its relevant parts, thus allowing the reader immediate access to the specific subject under consideration. There are also nine invaluable appendices plus an in-depth annotated bibliography.

This edition is actually the third revision of The Interpretation of Early Music; it was greatly expanded in 1974, and again for the present volume, in which Professor Donington took into account the very latest research, the explosion of interest in accurate historical performance practice, and recently formulated theories.