The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Music

by Mark Everist (Editor)

From the emergence of plainsong to the end of the fourteenth century, this Companion covers all the key aspects of medieval music. Divided into three main sections, the book first of all discusses repertory, styles and techniques - the key areas of traditional music histories; next taking a topographical view of the subject - from Italy, German-speaking lands, and the Iberian Peninsula; and concludes with chapters on such issues as liturgy, vernacular poetry and reception. Rather than presenting merely a chronological view of the history of medieval music, the volume instead focuses on technical and cultural aspects of the subject. Over nineteen informative chapters, fifteen world-leading scholars give a perspective on the music of the Middle Ages that will serve as a point of orientation for the informed listener and reader, and is a must-have guide for anyone with an interest in listening to and understanding medieval music.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Medieval

514 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2011

Reviews

[Carol]

With its chapters written by a wide variety of musicologists, this book covers quite a lot of depth and breadth concerning its topic. It covers repertory, what was going on musically in different geographical areas, various compositional styles and techniques, and other issues such as liturgy and reception. I especially enjoyed the in-depth discussions of Gregorian Chant, how it works, and how it changed over the centuries. I was very fascinated by the discussions of the development of polyphony and the focus on its earliest forms starting from the 9th century. I was also happy to see a look at music in eastern Europe and Spain. The only thing that was missing was a substantial discussion of medieval instruments and the music they played.