The Lute in Britain
A History of the Instrument and its Music
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:26th Jul '01
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£102.50(9780195188387)
Winner of the American Music Instrument Society's Bassarabov Award for Best Book 2000-01
The Lute in Britain is the first comprehensive account of the lute's history and music in Britain from medieval times to the present. Writing for the music student, the serious listener, the player, maker, and lute enthusiast, Spring makes available for the first time over forty years of musical scholarship that has previously been the preserve of academic journals.The lute was one of the most important instruments in use in Europe from late medieval times up to the eighteenth century, as a solo instrument, in combination with other instruments, or with the voice. Despite its acknowledged importance this study is the first ever comprehensive work on the instrument and its music, apart from performance studies or bibliographical and reference publications. While Spring focuses on the lute in Britain, he also includes two chapters devoted to continental developments: one on the transition from medieval to renaissance, the other on renaissance to baroque, and the lute in Britain is never treated in isolation. Six chapters cover all aspects of the lute's history and its music in England from 1285 to well into the eighteenth century, whilst other chapters cover the instruments early history, the lute in concert, lute song accompaniment, the thearbo, and the lute in Scotland. Writing for the music student, the serious listener, the player, maker, and lute enthusiast, Spring makes available for the first time, over 40 years of musical scholarship previously the preserve of academic journals.
Undoubtedly, this book will become a standard reference work and should be found in every music library in the world. * Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society *
A "must" for scholars of English and Scottish music and the ever-growing number of players in the international lute community, it should also be of interest to instrument makers and researchers for the wealth of information it provides on the physical nature of the instruments, which is meticulously documented by a combination of iconography, music sources, and contemporary writings. * Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society *
The Lute in Britain has been beautifully produced ... The vast amount of information it contains, its presentation, the extremely useful tables of music sources and iconography, and the wonderful selection of illustrations make it well worth the price. * Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society *
Matthew Spring has written the first full-length history of the lute and its repertory to appear in print ... For a single scholar to have undertaken such a comprehensive study is remarkable; that he has accomplished it in such a masterly fashion is nothing short of amazing. * Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society *
A major work of scholarship. This book will prove rewarding and indispensable not only to those who love the lute but to all who love English music. * Early Music Today *
It is a veritable compendium of almost all that is known of the subject, and it is to be heartily welcomed ... An ardent lutenist will devour every page with enthusiasm - and there are many welcome surprises for even the most well-read lute enthusiast ... the scholarship is impeccable ... a work of considerable scholarship, highly readable for the enthusiast and specialist. * Early Music *
Well-organised and easy to use for reference without recourse to the index ... full of well-selected music examples. * Early Music Review *
- Winner of Winner of the American Music Instrument Society's Bassarabov Award for Best Book 2000-01.
ISBN: 9780198166207
Dimensions: 256mm x 196mm x 35mm
Weight: 1373g
568 pages