Reviews by the editorial staff of Early Music America. Have a new recording or book? Submit it for consideration.
On Teaching Inclusive Music History
A new book asks 'whose music matters?' and critiques the conventional music history curriculum, including well-meaning but hollow additions for the mere sake of inclusion. Even traditional subjects like early music, the author writes, 'can be taught in diverse, ethical ways.'
Music and Healing at a Rome Ospedale
The Ospedale di Santo Spirito, a hospital, orphanage, and charitable institution in Rome (founded in 1198), entwined worlds of religion, music, and therapeutic care. Although regulated by the Catholic Church, the hospital was also responsive to cultural and scientific changes.
The Expressive Charms of Charles Avison
Charles Avison is best known as a theorist and for his 1752 'Essay on Musical Expression.' But he was also a composer whose attitudes — learn the rules of harmony; break them to be expressive — reached far beyond Georgian England.
Clément Janequin’s Vocal Adventures
Clément Janequin occupies a unique spot in early music, where several of his kaleidoscopic chansons — including 'Le Chant des oyseaux, and 'La Chasse' — are a hit among vocal ensembles. An agile, often humorous new book covers the range of Janequin's work and his times, aimed at reaching the performer as much as the scholar.
Early Music’s Future? A New Book Asks and Answers
The 'early music' movement is at an artistic crossroads and the field seems to be pushed and pulled in many directions. In 'Music in the 21st Century,' an array of authors dissect the recent past and consider the future for historical performance. It's a stimulating collection of essays on topics familiar and unexpected.
We Can’t Get Enough of the Troubadours
The moniker "troubadour" stirs the modern imagination like no other Medieval vocation. A smart new book offers concise studies of some of the most famous troubadours, offering thoughtful observations on poetic style alongside vivid descriptions of the historical context that shaped the tradition.
Courtly and Colonial Music in Mughal India
With a lively writing style, Katherine Butler Schofield's 'Music and Musicians in Late Mughal India: Histories of the Ephemeral, 1748-1858' offers a deeply researched study of early Hindustani musical practices in courtly and colonial settings. The era is one of sociopolitical transition during the century of the powerful British East India Company’s conquest of India.
A Monumental New Study of the Horn
It's been decades since a comprehensive history of the horn has been published in English, suitable for both the scholar and the performer. The Horn, by Renato Meucci and Gabriele Rocchetti, rises to the challenge. The authors unearth much new information and paint a clear picture of the instrument's rich history.
On Materiality of Musical Sources
Using the in-vogue terms of 'media' and 'materiality,' this collection finds insights in the objects of everyday music-making. Its chapters cover a range of topics, from conventional notation to the layout and decorations of illuminated manuscripts. In case after case, the visual, textual, and tactile effects of a manuscript impacted how the musicians engaged with its content.
To the Editor: Stewart Pollens responds to John Koster’s Review
Last month, EMA published John Koster's review of Stewart Pollen's book A History of Stringed Keyboard Instruments. In the review, Koster wrote that the 'book is beset with numerous problems.' In reply, author Pollens sent EMA a Letter to the Editor.
