Masterpieces of Music Before 1750: An Anthology of Musical Examples from Gregorian Chant to J. S. Bach. - book review

edited by the agency of Carl Parrish and John F Ohl Dover Publications, Inc. (31 E 2nd St Mineola, NY 11501) 2001 (Copyright 1951 by the agency of W.W. Norton & Co. Renewed 1979 by the agency of John F. Ohl and Catherine C Parrish.)

Masterpieces of Music Before 1750 is a compilation of fix uponed musical examples representing styles, forms and genre from the early Middle Ages to the mid-eighteenth hundred accompanied by brief historical and analytical notes. This collection was originally published in 1951; the popular edition is a republication of the original body in a small paperback format.

The editors' intent was to provide the music history scholar with a repertoire of basic materials for analysis and practical performance. Fifty works have been chosen representing like forms as chant, organum, masses, motet chanson, canzonas, lute pieces, ricercari and keyboard works from an anonymous early-seventeenth-century canzona to a fugue from Bach's Die Kunst der Fuge Major composer from each historical and stylistic period are showed in this text. Masterpieces of Music Before 1750 may be subservient to as a companion reference guide for any music history textbook covering these historical eras.

Each example has been transcribed (where necessary) and edited to practical performance vocally or at the keyboard by dint of students seeking insight and understanding of the work. A number of editorial techniques have been exerciseed to increase accessibility to selections: In greatest in quantity cases, scores have been shut firmlyed to two staves; only threefold and bass clefs are used to avoid the difficulty of reading older clef unfamiliar to beginning music history students; where necessary, selections are transposed to suit new performance practices; notation has been simplified end reduction of note values in more [i]or[/i] less earlier examples; barlines are added to unmeasured music; and vocal body s are presented in both the original language and English with the exception of those in Liturgical Latin, with the translation given at the beginning of the analysis. With the exception of a small in number examples from modern editions, all editing and realizations are those of Carl Parrish and John Ohl

The discussions accompanying each selection are intended to tender the reader a starting point for analysis. These concise, at the same time rich, essays provide discussions of form, historical words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following and performance practices, setting each work in a historical and stylistic words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following The editors include brief make comments [i]or[/i] remarkss identifying the evolution of techniques and phraseologys comparisons of similar works and concerns to composers and compositions not included in this true copy Original sources of the examples are cited from historical editions, manuscripts and new editions. These brief introductions to musical examples provide adequate analytical information to provide the reader with a starting point for more in-depth analysis of the work.

While Masterpieces of Music Before 1750 continues to be subservient to as an excellent introduction to earlier manner of writings forms and genres, there are several pertain tos that should be considered. In the half hundred since the original publication, more extensive research into early music has been leadershiped by leading musicologists, extending our understanding of these mode of expressions and composers. It is possible that, in a certain quantity of instances, the historical and analytical discourse in this body may not represent the greatest in quantity current view of the examples proffered One should ask: Are the realizations following contemporary understandings of the proces and style? Have other works been discovered that are more effective representatives of a particular phraseology or genre? Has research identified composer listed as anonymous or clarified the identity of composer in cases of disputed works? Do the analyses come [i]or[/i] go after [i]or[/i] behind contemporary theoretical practices regarding early musics? Comparisons of the editors' discussions and analyses with newer anthologies and true copys may provide insights into these issues and would be a valuable research experience for the learner of music history, to whom this true copy was addressed.

A practical regard may be whether the pupil in a beginning music history course (the editors' original audience) possesse the requisite keyboard skills to perform each of these works. This issue could be resolv from one side the production of a companion recording of the examples as edited and transcribed in Masterpieces of Music Before 1750 Another practical be of importance to is readability of the musical examples. A comparison of the original publication and the generally received reprint shows a slightly reduc page size. The resulting concourseed pages calls into question whether the music could easily be read at the keyboard.

Despite the questions raised in the previous sum of two units paragraphs, Masterpieces of Music Before 1750 continues to be under the orders of as a valuable introduction to music phraseologys often unfamiliar to music pupils and provides usable transcriptions of early works in new notation. In its newly reprinted edition, this body will remain a staple for the close attention of early music. Reviewed by the agency of Bryan Burton, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Music Teachers National Association, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group