Instruments and their Music in the Middle Ages

by Timothy J. McGee (Editor)

Overview

This is a collection of twenty-nine of the most influential articles and papers about medieval musical instruments and their repertory. The authors discuss the construction of the instruments, their playing technique, the occasions for which they performed and their repertory. Taken as a whole, they paint a very broad, as well as detailed, picture of instrumental performance during the medieval period.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780754627623
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/02/2009
Series:	Music in Medieval Europe
Pages:	556
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.60(h) x 1.60(d)

Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction; Part I Classifications and Lists of Instruments: Haut and bas: the grouping of musical instruments in the Middle Ages, Edmund A. Bowles; German musicians and their instruments: a 14th century account by Konrad of Megenberg, Christopher Page; Mains divers acors, Joscelyn Godwin; 15th century instruments in Tinctoris's De Inventionae et Usu Musicae, Anthony Baines; Some English consort-groupings of the late Middle Ages, Richard Rastall. Part II Keyboards: On the origin of the keyboard mechanism in the late Middle Ages, Edmund A. Bowles; Toward an identification of the chekker, Edwin M. Ripin; The capture of the chekker, David Kinsela; The Norrlanda organ and the Ghent altarpiece, Edwin M. Ripin. Part III Plucked Strings: The trecento harp, Howard Mayer Brown; 15th century tablatures for plucked instruments: a summary, a revision and a suggestion, David Fallows; The 15th century lute: new and neglected sources, Christopher Page; The medieval gittern and citole: a case of mistaken identity, Laurence Wright. Part IV Bowed Strings: The trecento fiddle and its bridges, Howard Mayer Brown; Rebec, fiddle and crowd in England, Mary Remnant; Rebec, fiddle and crowd in England: some further observations, Mary Remnant; An aspect of medieval fiddle construction, Christopher Page; Vedel and geige - fiddle and viol. German string traditions in the 15th century, Keith Polk. Part V Winds: The Renaissance slide trumpet: fact or fiction?, Peter Downey; Slide trumpet madness: fact or fiction?, Herbert W. Myers; The trombone, the slide trumpet and the ensemble tradition of the early Renaissance, Keith Polk; The trompette des menestrels in the 15th-century alta capella, Ross W. Duffin; Misleading iconography: the case of the 'Adimari Wedding Cassone', Timothy J. McGee; Backward bells and barrel bells: some notes on the early history of loud instruments, Ross W. Duffin. Part VI Repertory: On 'instrumental style' in early melody, Lloyd Hibberd; Instruments and th

Editorial Reviews

'...the introductions to each volume are excellent...' Early Music Review 'The value of this collection lies in McGee's selection of complementary essays...' Medieval Review

From the Publisher