The Seventeenth century - Ian Spink

The Seventeenth Century is Volume 3 of the six volume Blackwell History of Music in Britain. It complements The Romantic Age 1800-1914 edited by Nicholas Temperley, and The Eighteenth Century by H. Diack Johnstone and Roger Fiske. In British music, the seventeenth century was dominated by Henry Purcell, one of the greatest of English composers. This volume explores the social and cultural background to the music of the period, and gives a thorough historical context to developments in British music. In a series of contributions by leading musicologists and musical historians various aspects of music making are examined. Following an introductory section on the social and cultural background of the seventeenth century, there are chapters on church music, the stage, chamber music, the development of a solo instrument repertory, vocal music and musical literature. The masque and its place in theatre music is examined, as are vocal forms including the madrigal and ayre. Keyboard music is treated independently of the developing lute repertory. Important new material is included on consort music in the period. There is a full range of music examples, a thorough bibliography and index.