Charting the history of the Royal Musical Association over 150 years: from scientific roots and the long resistance of British universities to music study, to bringing UK musicology to worldwide recognition. This book is the first comprehensive history of the Royal Musical Association. Drawing on extensive archival material and exploring a host of colourful people, it paints an absorbing picture of scholarly achievement in Britain across 150 years. Founded in London in 1874 as a learned society for musical research, the Association emulated the venerable Royal Society in welcoming diverse backgrounds, but went further by including women. Charting its scientific roots and the long resistance of British universities to music study, the narrative shows how the Association published a strong body of research independently, blossoming from 170 members in the 1870s to more than 1400 today. Early joiners included the scientists William Pole and John Tyndall (a founder of climate science), the art historian Elizabeth Eastlake, and musicians from John Stainer to Agnes Zimmermann. Their goal was to 'investigate' and 'discuss' music rather than perform it or give concerts. Because no member was yet trained in what would later be called musicology, the papers covered an eclectic range of scientific, ethnographic and historical questions, broad in scope and responsive to heard music. Whether measuring acoustic phenomena, studying popular music or deciphering manuscripts of early polyphony, the Association promoted wide engagement as well as the establishment of academic musicology. Meanwhile, members including W.B. Squire, Edward J. Dent, Thurston Dart and Stanley Sadie transformed public understanding. Their work in music library development, opera, Musica Britannica, early music, criticism and music lexicography helped gain global recognition for British scholarship. With arts study under pressure in the current uncertain climate, the Association's recent concern for real-world issues in diversity, practice-based research and the vital role of music in schools remains true to its founding spirit.

Venetian music print culture of the mid-sixteenth century is presented here through a study of the Scotto press, one of the foremost dynastic music publishers of the Renaissance. For over a century, the house of Scotto played a pivotal role in the international book trade, publishing in a variety of fields including philosophy, medicine, religion, and music. This book examines the mercantile activities of the firm through both a historical study, which illuminates the wide world of the Venetian music printing industry, and a catalog, which details the music editions brought out by the firm during its most productive period. A valuable reference work, this book not only enhances our understanding of the socioeconomic and cultural history of Renaissance Venice, it also helps to preserve our knowledge of a vast musical repertory.

Well-researched compilation of music information, analyzes nearly 1,000 of the world's most familiar melodies -- composers, lyricists, copyright date, first lines of music, lyrics, and other data. Includes 30 black-and-white illustrations.

The literature of American music librarianship has been around since the 19th century when public libraries began to keep records of player-piano concerts, significant donations of books and music, and suggestions for housing music. As the 20th century began, American periodicals printed more and more articles on increasingly specialized topics within music studies. Eventually books were developed to aid the music librarian; their publication has continued over the course of nearly a century. This book reflects the great diversity of the literature of music librarianship. The main resources included are items of historical interest, descriptions of individual collections, catalogues of collections, articles describing specific library functions, record-related subjects, bibliographies designed for music library use, literature from Canada and Britain when relevant to U.S. library practices, key discographies, and information on specialized music research. The material is ordered by topic and indexed by author, subject, and library name.

How to Find Out About the Victorian Period: A Guide to Sources of Information focuses on the Victorian period of Great Britain. The book first discusses the study of the Victorian period and general guides to the literature. The use of books, periodical articles, theses, and bibliographies in the study of this period in British history is emphasized. The text underscores the value of Victorian periodicals and newspapers in the study of the Victorian period. Guides to special collections and source materials on this period are discussed. These include guides to collection of books and manuscripts, libraries and their collections, archives and manuscripts, and government publications. The book also presents guides to the study of the Victorian church. These include encyclopedias and dictionaries, biographical works, and theses. Guides on the kind of education, development of science, visual arts, music, and literature of the Victorian period are also described. The text is a fine reference for readers who are interested in British history, particularly the Victorian era.