Presenting a view of the 20th-century music avant-garde without resorting to highly specialized jargon, this work offers an exhaustive history and analysis of contemporary music in a social, political, and artistic context. Distinguished contributors from around the world consider specific composers who represent the most progressive musical thinking of their time and place. Sitsky, an eminent Australian composer and teacher, has assembled an accessible, clearly written collection that succeeds in demystifying an area that, until now, had been the exclusive province of the specialist.