Complete bibliographical descriptions and illustrations for over one hundred rare books on musical theory, practice and instruments on show at the Grolier Club, January 27-March 12, 2005

This book examines works from the Frederick S. Selch Collection pertaining to the history of musical instruments. Selch was well-known for collecting books about history, design, and the use of musical instruments. His books on this field of study will continue to be a resource for research as they present the developing history of the field of organology. The books also reveal plenty about the history of printing and book illustration, and with 100 items showcased, this exhibition represents the diversity and quality of Selch's collection. Produced after the exhibition held at the Grolier Club from January 26 to March 11, 2005, the book contains much of the commentary included in the labels displayed at the exhibition. Laurence Libdin, Curator of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and H. Reynolds Butler provide additional commentary. Entries are arranged chronologically under author, compiler, or publisher. Each description includes full title transcriptions with original spellings, ligatures, and punctuation, commentary, format, register of signatures, number of leaves, pagination, and page size. The publication also includes a summary of each book's printing history and references. In addition to the catalogue, appendixes, notes, and an index are presented. The book, designed by Jerry Kelly and printed by the Studley Press, is beautifully illustrated in black-and-white.

This early German 'do-it-yourself' manual tells us about music-making in the years just before the Reformation.

Titles in Dictionaries for the Modern Musician series offer both the novice and the advanced artist key information designed to convey the field of study and performance for a major instrument or instrument class, as well as the workings of musicians in areas from conducting to composing. Unlike other encyclopedic works, contributions to this series focus primarily on the knowledge required by the contemporary musical student or performer. Each dictionary covers topics from instrument parts to playing technique and major works to key figures. A must-have for any musician’s personal library! Trumpeters today perform a vast repertoire of musical material spanning 500 years, much of it in a variety of styles and even on a number of related instruments. In A Dictionary for the Modern Trumpet Player, scholar and performer, Elisa Koehler has created a key reference work that addresses all of the instruments in the high brass family, providing ready answers to issues that trumpeters, conductors, and musicians commonly—and sometimes not so commonly—encounter. Drawing on a broad range of scholarly sources, A Dictionary for the Modern Trumpet Player includes entries on historic instruments like the cornetto, keyed bugle, and slide trumpet; jazz trumpet techniques; mutes and accessories; and ancient ancestors of the trumpet and related non-Western instruments. In addition to its concise and detailed definitions, this work includes biographies of prominent performers, teachers, instrument makers, and composers of trumpet solo and ensemble literature often omitted from other musical references. Carefully labeled illustrations illuminate the inner workings of various valve mechanisms, allowing readers to visualize the more technical points of high brass instruments. Appendixes include a time line of trumpet history, a survey of valve mechanisms, a list of prominent excerpts from the orchestral and operatic repertoire, and an extensive bibliography. From quick definitions of confusing terms in a musical score to an in-depth overview of trumpet history, A Dictionary for the Modern Trumpet Player is an ideal reference for students, professionals, and music lovers.