This volume serves as a definitive bibliographic record of musical compositions inspired by or associated with specific Shakespearean plays, specifically covering Macbeth through The Taming of the Shrew. Bryan N. S. Gooch and David Thatcher, both established scholars in the field of Shakespearean studies and musicology, compiled this exhaustive resource to track the intersection of dramatic literature and musical interpretation. The work functions as a systematic index, providing researchers with the necessary data to locate scores, performances, and adaptations across centuries of artistic production.

Experts and musicologists regard this series as the foundational reference for any study concerning the musical reception of Shakespeare's works. Readers frequently note the immense academic density of the prose and the meticulous nature of the cataloging, which remains an essential tool for scholars in theater history and musicology.