Lessons In Musical History

Author : John Fillmore
Publisher : CreateSpace
ISBN 13 : 9781501062957
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (629 download)

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Download or read book Lessons in Musical History written by John Fillmore and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-09-03 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the Preface: THIS little book is the result of the author's own efforts to interest his pupils in the History of Music and to give them an outline of that history, presenting its salient facts in a clearer perspective than he could find in any text-book he had tried to use. Since the book was begun, the excellent history of Dr. Langhans has appeared in English, but the translation is so clumsy as not to preclude the necessity of some other text-book for English-speaking students. There still remains the need of an exhaustive history to follow such an outline as is here attempted. Those who read German can find it in the admirable histories of Von Dommer and Ambros; but the counterparts of these works are not yet to be found in English. Chappell's history, so far as it has gone, is interesting, and instructive to discriminating readers; but its author seems too opinionated and too unbalanced to be thoroughly trusted as a guide, Rowbotham is valuable to those who can devote attention to such details as the minute study of Greek rhythms and other fine points of ancient music, and will be interesting even to those who can read it but superficially. But the second of his two large volumes already published only brings us through the music of the Greek tragedy. The histories of Burney and Hawkins are not to be forgotten, but they are, of course, antiquated. Macfarren's, Ritter's, Bouavia Hunt's, Rockstro's and others are outlines only. The most important auxiliary to the English speaking student of musical history is Grove's "Dictionary of Music and Musicians," by far the most complete encyclopedia yet published in English, a library in itself. It ought to be accessible to every student of music There is a short "Dictionary of Music and Musicians" appended to W. S. B. Mathews' "How to Understand Music," which will be found very handy for reference. The book itself is valuable reading, and a second volume, now in preparation, will cover important ground in the history of music. Naumann's History is valuable for its illustrations. Many of these are also to be found in Mendel's "Conversations-lexicon," the most extensive musical encyclopedia for those who read German. A smaller, but most valuable German encyclopedia is Dr. Hugo Riemann's "Musikalisches Conversations-Lexikon." Among special histories Niemann's "Studien zur Geschichte der Notenschrift," is perhaps the most important contribution to our knowledge made in recent years. It ought to be translated into clear and readable English. Dr. Riemann is doubtless the greatest living musical theorist and no student of music can afford to ignore his works. Unfortunately none of them have been translated except his lecture on "The Nature of Harmony" and his "Comparative Piano School." In biography we are better off. The series entitled "The Great Musicians," edited by Franz Hueffer is strongly to be recommended. Its American publishers are Scribner and Welford, New York. Karasowski's "Life of Chopin" is now to be had in English. This is the standard biography of Chopin. Liszt's "Chopin" is interesting but is, in some respects, inaccurate and misleading Schumann's Essays are well-known and so is Wasielwski's "Life of Schumann." It is matter of pride to Americans that the standard life of Beethoven is the production of an American, A. W. Thayer. Unfortunately, it has thus far appeared only in German. The works connected with Mendelssohn's name are numerous and valuable; his letters are especially charming; "Music and Morals" and "My Musical Memories," by the Rev. H. K. Harvies, are excellent reading But I will not further extend a list which could hardly be made exhaustive. The student who makes his own choice of the books here enumerated will know how to discriminate as to his further reading.