Of all the prominent musicians born in Bohemia in the eighteenth century, none is surrounded with as much mystery and mystique as Josef Myslivecek (1737-1781), known as "Il Boemo" ("The Bohemian") in Italy among music lovers unable to grapple with his unpronounceable Czech name. Scion of a wealthy family of millers from Prague (and himself a master miller), he acquired training as a composer only in his twenties; nonetheless he quickly became one of the most talented composers active in late eighteenth-century Europe. Despite a composing career of only eighteen years, Myslivecek produced a large and diverse body of work: twenty-seven operas, eight oratorios, many shorter vocal compositions, about fifty symphonies, twenty-nine overtures, sixteen concertos, and one hundred thirty-four instrumental chamber works. Prodigious, successful, and resourceful, he lived most of his adult life as an itinerant composer in Italy, uninterested in employment at any aristocratic or ecclesiastical musical establishment. A friend of both Wolfgang and Leopold Mozart for eight years between 1770 and 1778, his dynamic personality ("full of fire, spirit, and life" according to Wolfgang) is vividly brought to life in the Mozart correspondence - and not only the praiseworthy aspects, but also the air of scandal that often followed him. Complete and accurate information about Myslivecek's biography and works has remained elusive for many years. The present study narrates his life in light of all available biographical documentation, offers analytical discussions of all the genres in which he composed, and for the first time presents catalogs of all his music fully detailing its sources, editions, and recordings. During much of the last century Myslivecek's contributions to music literature were largely forgotten outside the Czech lands, in part, it is argued, because of national biases. In this book Myslivecek's particular style of composition is approached more systematically, and his participation in the creation of what is now recognized as an era of "high classicism" in European art music evaluated more comprehensively than in any previous study. There is also a critical re-appraisal of Myslivecek's relationship with the Mozart family and of his place in Wolfgang's musical development. Some twenty-eight letters in the surviving Mozart family correspondence mention Myslivecek, and for no other composer did Wolfgang express such a degree of affection. Indeed, the full implications of their strong personal rapport invite revision of older assumptions about their standing with each other: through scrutiny of specific works by both composers, the author makes the case the Myslivecek was a distinctive compositional model for the young Mozart.

Praised by Mozart, the Czech composer Josef Myslivecek (1737-1781) enjoyed enormous success in Germany and Italy, where he was known as 'the divine Bohemian'. These bright and tuneful divertimentos have the characteristic grace and elegance of music from the Classical era.

The Lost Tradition of Dvořák’s Operas: Myth, Music, and Nationalism examines Antonín Dvořák’s operas, specifically Jakobín and Rusalka, from a critical standpoint, focusing on such criteria as tonal structures, thematic material and motives, subject matter, Czech folklore and musical influences, textual language, nationalism, characters, compositional history, performance history, and reception. The intent of this research is to vindicate and validate Dvořák as an opera composer; to show him to be an overlooked master in Nineteenth Century opera and the bridge between the Verdi and Wagner traditions. Now, well over one hundred years after his death, it is now time for Dvořák to take his rightful place in the operatic echelon.

A rich and fascinating account of one of music history’s most ancient, varied, and distinctive instruments From its origins in animal horn instruments in classical antiquity to the emergence of the modern horn in the seventeenth century, the horn appears wherever and whenever humans have made music. Its haunting, timeless presence endures in jazz and film music, as well as orchestral settings, to this day. In this welcome addition to the Yale Musical Instrument Series, Renato Meucci and Gabriele Rocchetti trace the origins of the modern horn in all its variety. From its emergence in Turin and its development of political and diplomatic functions across European courts, to the revolutionary invention of valves, the horn has presented in innumerable guises and forms. Aided by musical examples and newly discovered sources, Meucci and Rocchetti’s book offers a comprehensive account of an instrument whose history is as complex and fascinating as its music.

Central to the repertoire of Western art music since the 18th century, the symphony has come to be regarded as one of the ultimate compositional challenges. In his five-volume series The Symphonic Repertoire, the late A. Peter Brown explores the symphony from its 18th-century beginnings to the end of the 20th century. In Volume 1, The Eighteenth-Century Symphony, 22 of Brown's former students and colleagues collaborate to complete the work that he began on this critical period of development in symphonic history. The work follows Brown's outline, is organized by country, and focuses on major composers. It includes a four-chapter overview and concludes with a reframing of the symphonic narrative. Contributors address issues of historiography, the status of research, and questions of attribution and stylistic traits, and provide background material on the musical context of composition and early performances. The volume features a CD of recordings from the Bloomington Early Music Festival Orchestra, highlighting the largely unavailable repertoire discussed in the book.

When we speak of "classical music" it often refers rather loosely to serious "art" music but at the core is really the music of the classical period running from about 1730 to 1800, give or take. This was truly one of the most glorious periods for both composition and performance and it is this classical music which is still at the core of today's repertoire. Obvious names connected with this period are Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, but there were many more still reasonably well known like Gluck and C.P.E Bach, and dozens more who are regrettably little known today. This Historical Dictionary of Music of the Classical Period includes not only these composers, but also eminent conductors and performers, patrons, and publishers. There are also dictionary entries on major centers of music-making, typical instruments, important technical terms, and emerging musical forms, including the symphony and opera. Indeed, with a 1,000 cross-referenced entries, there is information on most matters of interest. This is prefaced by an extensive chronology, tracing the course of this period from year to year, and an introduction taking a careful look at the period as a whole. Finally, there is a substantial bibliography. Surely, this is a book which will appeal not only to students and researchers but all music-lovers.