Music from the Age of Shakespeare: A Cultural History

(Hardback)

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Description

When Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1558, England was undergoing tremendous social upheaval. Power struggles between Protestants and Catholics shaped the English music world as musician's livelihoods were directly linked to their religious allegiances. Music became a form of strategy within court politics and secular music evolved through the musical and poetical influences of the Italian Renaissance. Events of the day were told and retold through music, class and social differences were sung with relish and rituals of love and life were set to music and song. When England defeated the vaunted Spanish Armada in 1588, a victorious nation expressed its jubilation through music. Introducing every important aspect of the Elizabethan music world, this title examines the lives of composers, the evolution of musical instruments, the Elizabethan system of musical notation and the many textures of Elizabethan music. Biographical entries introduce the most significant and prolific composers as well as members of royal society who influenced musical culture. Both familiar and obscure instruments of the era are described with focus on their musical and social contexts and various types of music are defined and illustrated.

Reviews

Comprehensive in scope and introductory in nature, Lord's book addresses learning in an interesting period in English history. Lord examines the music of all Elizabethan classes (the royal court, other nobility, and the middle and working classes), placing it in a context defined through an explanation of English social influences such as education, politics, and religious reforms....work will be useful for music history teachers looking for assigned readings, group projects, etc. Recommended.-Choice
General readers are served well. The information about music forms and instruments is reliable, and many of the quotations drawn from primary sources illuminate important aspects about Elizabethan culture.-The Sixteenth Century Journal
Lord offers an engaging and well-researched musical and cultural history of Elizabethan England....Even the cognoscenti will find much of value, particularly in the rich details of Elizabethan history and society. Recommended for general collections and school libraries.-Library Journal
Suzanne Lord's excellent book is an introduction to the music that was composed, published, and performed during the reign of Elizabeth I, daugther of Henry VIII. Living up to its billing of being a cultural history, the book touches on virtually every important aspect of the music world of this era. Additionally, it examines the lives of composers, the evolution of musical instruments (both common and obscure), the system of musical notation, and the many genres of Eliabethan music. Lord also gives a fascinating look at the role of music in the life of the various classes of the age. Easy to read and understand, Lord's book is written for lovers of the Elizabethan period and those with an interest in either English or music history....Music from the Age of Shakespeare: A Cultural History is highly recommended as a comprehensive introductory look at how music can both affect and be affected by social, political, and religious events.-Music Educators Journal
"Comprehensive in scope and introductory in nature, Lord's book addresses learning in an interesting period in English history. Lord examines the music of all Elizabethan classes (the royal court, other nobility, and the middle and working classes), placing it in a context defined through an explanation of English social influences such as education, politics, and religious reforms....work will be useful for music history teachers looking for assigned readings, group projects, etc. Recommended."-Choice
"General readers are served well. The information about music forms and instruments is reliable, and many of the quotations drawn from primary sources illuminate important aspects about Elizabethan culture."-The Sixteenth Century Journal
"Lord offers an engaging and well-researched musical and cultural history of Elizabethan England....Even the cognoscenti will find much of value, particularly in the rich details of Elizabethan history and society. Recommended for general collections and school libraries."-Library Journal
"Suzanne Lord's excellent book is an introduction to the music that was composed, published, and performed during the reign of Elizabeth I, daugther of Henry VIII. Living up to its billing of being a cultural history, the book touches on virtually every important aspect of the music world of this era. Additionally, it examines the lives of composers, the evolution of musical instruments (both common and obscure), the system of musical notation, and the many genres of Eliabethan music. Lord also gives a fascinating look at the role of music in the life of the various classes of the age. Easy to read and understand, Lord's book is written for lovers of the Elizabethan period and those with an interest in either English or music history....Music from the Age of Shakespeare: A Cultural History is highly recommended as a comprehensive introductory look at how music can both affect and be affected by social, political, and religious events."-Music Educators Journal

Author Bio

STEPHEN J. LYNCH is Professor of English at Providence College.