Among the first of Gerald Abraham's many books were studies of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, and his knowledge of Russian literature and culture has provided the key to his extensive research into the history of Slavonic music.

Music, for Gerald Abraham, was never merely an artefact to be measured and described - he believed it should be considered in its cultural context. It is remarkable how he enlivens our view of the Russian scene without having lived there for a prolonged period. Essays on Russian and East European Music brings together eleven essays on Russian, Polish, and Czechoslovakian music published in various books and journals over a period of twenty years, and a previously unpublished essay on the operas of Moniuszko.