Music-History & Criticism

Haydn is enjoying renewed appreciation as one of the towering figures of Western music history. This lively collection builds upon this resurgence of interest, with chapters exploring the nature of Haydn's invention and the cultural forces that he both absorbed and helped to shape...

This book by British music historian William Thomas Parke is a detailed history of the music scene in England during the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. Parke offers insight into the works of key composers of the era, such as Handel, Haydn, and Mozart, and...

New York City in 1949. A poor, Jewish, eight-year old boy named George, who has shown remarkable talent on the piano, accidentally breaks his rich friend's cello. The mother, Evelyn Amster, a former aspiring concert pianist, makes light of the accident. The eight-year old...

Investigation of unjustly neglected opera. Hans Pfitzner's musical legend' Palestrina is considered in the German-speaking countries to be one of the supreme masterpieces of music, and yet it is all but unknown elsewhere. The opera, first performed in 1917, tells the story of the...

2009 marked the 75th birthday of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, an occasion that presented an opportunity for reflection upon, and appreciation of, a period of compositional achievement that extends from the 1950s to the present. This book forms part of that reflection through a...

This book looks at the music of Webern from several new perspectives. The most recent Webern scholarship has emphasized Webern's lyricism, and this is a theme running through Webern Studies. Other techniques not generally associated with Webern are also explored: two chapters illustrate and...

This 1984 collection of essays brings together the research on Johann Mattheson (1681-1764), an influential musician and chronicler of musical thought in eighteenth-century Germany. The essays explore the cultural climate of Hamburg during Mattheson's lifetime; Mattheson as a composer; Mattheson's relationship to his contemporaries;...

This study includes selected songs for voice and piano composed by Schubert between 1822 and his death on November 19, 1828. Schubert was diagnosed with syphilis circa late 1822, and many of the songs discussed were written with his knowledge of impending death. It...

If one name stands out among musicologists writing today, that name is Joseph Kerman. Eminent, wide-ranging, and wonderfully readable, Kerman's writing on musicology, opera, Beethoven, and Elizabethan music has informed and inspired an extensive audience both in America and abroad.There is much to interest...

After 50 years of making highly regarded music documentaries and releasing a well-received 2023 memoir titled Notes from the Road: A Filmmaker's Journey through American Music, filmmaker Robert Mugge is once again permitting 150 of his musician subjects (as well as others who support...

"Beethoven: The Man Who Freed Music" is an insightful and expansive biography of one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art. Written by Robert Haven Schauffler, this work explores the life and legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven, emphasizing his role...

"Introduction to Music Appreciation and History" by Dorothy Tremble Moyer is a comprehensive guide designed to deepen the reader's understanding and enjoyment of music through its historical context and structural evolution. The work traces the development of musical art from its earliest origins through...

"Modern Organ Stops" is a definitive treatise on the art and science of organ voicing and tonal design. Written by the esteemed authority Noel A. Bonavia-Hunt, this work serves as an essential guide for organists, builders, and enthusiasts seeking to understand the intricate nuances...

"The Hymns You Ought to Know" is a comprehensive exploration of the rich tradition of sacred music, designed to introduce readers to the most significant and enduring hymns of the Christian faith. Philo Adams Otis provides a thoughtful guide to the melodies and lyrics...

"Read Em and Weep the Songs You Forgot to Remember" is an engaging and nostalgic exploration of the forgotten melodies and lyrics that once defined American popular culture. Sigmund Spaeth, famously known as the "Tune Detective," curates a fascinating collection of sentimental, humorous, and...

"Read Em and Weep the Songs You Forgot to Remember" is an engaging and nostalgic exploration of the forgotten melodies and lyrics that once defined American popular culture. Sigmund Spaeth, famously known as the "Tune Detective," curates a fascinating collection of sentimental, humorous, and...

"Henry Purcell" offers an insightful and scholarly examination of one of England's greatest musical geniuses. Written by the esteemed musician and researcher Dennis Arundell, this work delves into the life and career of the Restoration composer who defined a unique era of English music....

A comprehensive and practical reference guide for students and professionals alike, "Handbook of Musical Terms" provides clear, authoritative definitions of the essential vocabulary of music. Written by Karl Wilson Gehrkens, a distinguished figure in music education, this work serves as an indispensable tool for...

"Beethoven: The Man Who Freed Music" is an insightful and passionate exploration of the life and artistic legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven. Robert Haven Schauffler presents a detailed portrait of a composer who broke the traditional molds of his time to usher in the...

"Beethoven" is a comprehensive and evocative exploration of the life, character, and enduring musical legacy of one of history's greatest composers. Written by Robert Haven Schauffler, this biography delves deeply into the personal struggles and artistic triumphs of Ludwig van Beethoven, tracing his journey...

"Beethoven and His Forerunners" is a profound examination of the historical and artistic forces that culminated in the revolutionary works of Ludwig van Beethoven. Written by Daniel Gregory Mason, this work traces the evolution of instrumental music from its early foundations through the developmental...

"Art Song in America" is a definitive historical and critical examination of the development of the art song genre within the United States. Written by musicologist William Treat Upton, this comprehensive study traces the evolution of American vocal composition from its early influences through...

"The American Orchestra Theodore Thomas" is a comprehensive exploration of the life and enduring legacy of Theodore Thomas, the pioneering conductor who revolutionized the classical music landscape in the United States. Authored by Charles Edward Russell, this work details the monumental challenges and triumphs...

By 1972, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, and Joey Kramer had forged a lineup built for legend--and in 1973, their debut album on Columbia Records lit the fuse with the timeless ballad "Dream On." What followed was a blistering run: Get...

Berlin Techno Narrative is both a cultural book and a self-guided urban route through the city's historic techno locations. Built from an original walking circuit, the book allows readers to explore former clubs, industrial buildings, underground spaces and parade routes that shaped Berlin's electronic...

"Le Jeu de Robin et Marion" stands as one of the most significant works of medieval literature, often cited as the first French secular play with music. Composed in the 13th century by the renowned trouvère Adam de la Halle, also known as Adam...

"Le Jeu de Robin et Marion" stands as one of the most significant works of medieval literature, often cited as the first French secular play with music. Composed in the 13th century by the renowned trouvère Adam de la Halle, also known as Adam...

In 1994, the death of Nirvana leader Kurt Cobain not only initiated the decline of grunge's chart dominance but concurrently marked the MTV Generation's ascent to adulthood. Soon after came the Backstreet Boys, the Spice Girls, and the invention of AutoTune, as mainstream pop...

What can the Grateful Dead teach us about impermanence, interconnection, and the quest for meaning? Dead Dharma: The Grateful Dead and the American Quest for Transcendence explores how the Grateful Dead and their cultural orbit became unlikely guides for America's spiritual journey. Blending spiritual...

Driving through the panhandle of Oklahoma-a land so flat and seemingly empty that its name of No Man's Land drifts through your thoughts as you look at the endless horizon-it's still easy to imagine the blight of the Dust Bowl. The dust has now...

Using the sound and sentiment of Whitney Houston's third album, I'm Your Baby Tonight, this book dives into the ways the singer defied white superstardom. Released in 1990, the album was a turning point in Houston's career. Her first two albums, 1985's Whitney Houston...

Reassesses the life, music and enduring influence of Charles Wood, a central figure in British and Irish music and one of the foremost teachers of his generation. Charles Wood (1866-1926), Armagh chorister and student of Chares Villiers Stanford, was one of the most significant...

Happy Together by Justin M. Davis is a heartfelt journey into the world of The Turtles, one of the most iconic bands of the 1960s. More than just a story of chart-topping hits, this book captures the spirit, creativity, and camaraderie that defined an...

Between 1967 and 1969, David Bowie did not rise. He disappeared-and in doing so, learned how to last.This book explores the two albums most often treated as false starts or curiosities-David Bowie (1967) and Space Oddity (1969)-and argues that they are, in fact, Bowie's...

Before they became household names, Maya Angelou, Lorraine Hansberry, Abbey Lincoln, Miriam Makeba, and Nina Simone needed a place to practice and perform. That place was the Village Gate, a New York City nightclub that became a downtown hotspot for Black art, culture, music,...

Take a stunning visual and narrative journey down the "dark desert highway" to explore the creation, legacy, and lasting cultural power of one of rock's most iconic albums. A milestone celebration of rock history and myth, Eagles and Hotel California: 50 Years offers fans...

When Gary Shearston released his worldwide hit version of "I Get A Kick Out Of You" in 1974, he had already been recording for over a decade, and years of creative adventure lay ahead. His most commercially successful album, Dingo, provides a lens through...

A landmark celebration of Edward Elgar's life, music and enduring influence, bringing together leading voices from across the musical world. Of the many biographies and other books published about Edward Elgar few have brought together as many composers, performers, and writers as this anthology,...

NOTORIOUS US PUNK LEGEND'S SOLO CAREER There's more to Iggy Pop than The Stooges, wild tales, and the occasional 'Lust For Life' sync in a commercial. Much of his solo career, spanning decades of reckless reinvention, is often overlooked, reduced to a handful of...

Where are the women and femmes in metal music, culture, and scholarship? What are the modes of address and engagement when, as Laina Dawes stated, 'you love a music form that doesn't love you back'? This interdisciplinary edited collection focuses on centring women and...

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the first Electric Light Orchestra album. The ELO story is one of continued success for over 50 years. From inauspicious beginnings in 1971, where live audiences barely reached double figures, ELO would become one of...

Feted in Germany and at times in other parts of Continental Europe, but largely unknown at home in the U.K. except to a fiercely loyal cognoscenti, Barclay James Harvest are long overdue for greater recognition. Formed in the Saddleworth area of north-west England in...

This is the story of how Cuban music captivated the world in the 1950s, told through the life of mambo's most famous musician, Pérez Prado. A riveting tour through rich moments in Cuban, Mexican, and American cultural history, this book captures Prado's colorful life...

"I love seeing these amazing guitars that are so life-worn, with all that mojo, through Eleanor's eyes and lens. Beautiful."-JASON MOMOA"Eleanor has a unique ability to tell stories through her photographs. You can almost see the original owner's entire career in music in a...

"Memories of a Musician" offers a rare glimpse into the life and times of a musician deeply embedded in the musical fabric of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Wilhelm Ganz recounts his seventy years of musical life, offering insights into the world of...

An exploration of the fundamental relationship between opera and urban modernity in three iconic cities: London, Paris, and New York. At the end of the nineteenth century, London, Paris, and New York were quintessential modern metropolises and vital centers for opera. In Operatic Infrastructures,...

This study of Dick Diver's acclaimed 2013 album, Calendar Days, discusses the work within its cultural and historical context. Critically acclaimed upon its 2013 release, Dick Diver's album Calendar Days was consistently praised for its "Australianness." Across the album's 11 tracks, the group poeticize...

The life and career of a producer who sought to bring jazz to the masses Creed Taylor was one of the most successful jazz producers of all time-and one of the most controversial. His career spanned five decades, in which he produced albums with...

This collection of interdisciplinary and multicultural essays takes a novel approach to the ancient theory of the Harmony of the Spheres and the notion of musical harmony. The idea of the harmony of the spheres is an old and venerable one, finding a parallel...

This exploration of the Australian pop solo debut Brave (1989) by Kate Ceberano identifies the album as a bold feminist foundation for finding voice within Black musical genres against a white Australian cultural landscape. Australian songstress Kate Ceberano has had an illustrious musical career...