The Rise of Musical Classics in Eighteenth-century England
The Rise of Musical Classics in Eighteenth-century England

Author: William Weber

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13:

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This is the first book to explore the formation of musical 'classics' in regard to repertory and social context. It examines the performance of old music in eighteenth-century England, from the interest in music of the Elizabethan period at the beginning of the century, through the performance of works by Henry Purcell, Arcangelo Corelli, and other English and Italian composers, and the development of festivals that featured choral-orchestral works of Purcell and Handel. It concludes with the establishment of the Concert of Antient Music in 1776, where the traditions of performing old works came together as a self-conscious canon focused upon the work of Handel. The book examines closely the political and social reasons for these developments. In addition, it shows how they laid the groundwork for the classical-music tradition of the nineteenth century.

St. Paul's
St. Paul's

Author: Lecturer in Modern British History Arthur Burns

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2004-01-01

Total Pages: 564

ISBN-13: 0300092768

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The present St Paul's Cathedral, Christopher Wren's masterpiece, is the fourth religious building to occupy the site. Its location in the heart of the capital reflects its importance in the English church while the photographs of it burning during the Blitz forms one of the most powerful and familiar images of London during recent times. This substantial and richly illustrated study, published to mark the 1,400th anniversary of St Paul's, presents 42 scholarly contributions which approach the cathedral from a range of perspectives. All are supported by photographs, illustrations and plans of the exterior and interior of St Paul's, both past and present. Eight essays discuss the history of St Paul's, demonstrating the role of the cathedral in the formation of England's church and state from the 7th century onwards; nine essays examine the organisation and function of the cathedral during the Middle Ages, looking at, for example, the arrangement of the precinct, the tombs, the Dean's household during the 15th century, the liturgy and the archaeology. The remaining papers examine many aspects of Wren's cathedral, including its construction, fittings and embellishments, its estates and income, music and rituals, its place in London, its library, its role in the book trade and its reputation.