This volume investigates the structural and aesthetic principles of program music, specifically focusing on how composers translate narrative or pictorial concepts into musical form. Sir Donald Francis Tovey, a renowned musicologist and composer, utilizes his extensive knowledge of the orchestral repertoire to analyze how illustrative elements function within symphonic structures. He argues that musical meaning is derived from internal logic rather than mere imitation of external events, providing a rigorous framework for evaluating works that attempt to depict non-musical subjects.

Musicologists and students of music history frequently cite this collection as a foundational resource for understanding the analytical approach to 19th-century orchestral music. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which demands a high level of musical literacy to fully grasp the author's nuanced arguments.