After that, the life, creative style and representative works of important composers in various periods are briefly listed, which effectively illustrates the important contribution of musicians to the development of music. This edition adds a chronology of historical events related to music and composers to help readers understand the development of music in various periods. Among them, more references are made to current music selections and corresponding recorded scores to facilitate readers' access to musical works. At the same time, the chapters discussing popular music have also been expanded and updated to bring readers more of the latest academic perspectives of modern musicologists.