Book excerpt: This issue explores the often uneasy relationship betwen rock and classical music by presenting a range of essays on the composers, performers, theorists, historians, critics and listeners who welcome the difficult but fruitful intercourse between classical and popular culture. Fascinating philosophical and analytical issues arise as a picture of the rich historical relationship between the two media emerges. John Covach is associate professor of music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has published numerous articles on rock music, twelve-tone music and theory, and the philosophy of music. He is co-editor, with Graeme Boone, of Understanding Rock: Essays in Musical Analysis (Oxford UP, 1997). Also includes 32 musical examples. Walter Everett is associate professor of music of Music at the University of Michigan. He has published numerous articles on rock music, art song, opera, Schenkerian theory, and other topics. He is author of The Beatles as Musicans: Revolver through the Anthology (O