Elements of Musical Composition

An 1812 primer on music theory, composition and figured bass by one of the pre-eminent musical figures of his day.

A child prodigy at the keyboard, the organist and composer William Crotch (1775–1847) first published this work in 1812. One of the titles which secured his scholarly reputation, it is a clearly written primer on music theory, composition and figured bass, containing an abundance of musical examples.An exceptional child prodigy at the keyboard, the organist and composer William Crotch (1775–1847) attracted the attention of both George III and Charles Burney, going on to become one of the most eminent musical figures of his day. Following a period of study in Cambridge, at the age of fifteen he was appointed organist at Christ Church, Oxford. At twenty-one he assumed the university's chair of music, a post he retained until his death. The first principal of the Royal Academy of Music between 1822 and 1832, Crotch is remembered today for his oratorio Palestine. The present work, first published in 1812, made his expertise available to a wider audience. A clearly written primer on music theory, composition and figured bass, it includes an abundance of musical examples. Crotch's Substance of Several Courses of Lectures on Music (1831) is also reissued in this series.