This anthology serves as a primary source collection designed to illustrate and support the historical and analytical arguments presented in Douglass Seaton's music history curriculum. The author, Taruskin, curates a selection of musical scores and excerpts that align with the chronological and stylistic developments discussed in the companion textbook. By providing direct access to the musical literature, the text enables students to engage with the primary evidence of Western music history through direct analysis and performance.

Academic instructors frequently utilize this anthology as a standard resource for undergraduate music history courses. Experts note that the selection of scores is highly effective for demonstrating the technical and aesthetic transitions discussed in Seaton's work.