Byrd

Master Musicians Series

by Kerry Robin McCarthy

The foremost composer under the reign of Elizabeth I and James I, William Byrd (c. 1540 - 1623) produced countless masses, motets, polyphonic songs, and works for keyboard and instrumental consort, all of which rank among the most unique and inspired works of the late Renaissance. His output was widely admired both at the time and now, and the influence he exerted on his contemporaries and on future generations of English composers was profound. Byrd was especially well-known for his motets, a musical form which he - a practicing Catholic in Anglican England and composer for the English Chapel Royal - especially favored, in spite of the threats of religious persecution he routinely faced.
This biography takes a new look at Byrd's music - instrumental and vocal, sacred and secular - and the various documents of his long life. Exploring the musical world in which Byrd grew up, author Kerry McCarthy traces his influence on the English musicians of the early Baroque, many of whom were his students, and takes on the uncomfortable paradoxes of the composer's life as a devout and influential Catholic who spent much of his career in the service of the English Protestant establishment. McCarthy also pays special attention to Byrd's literary background and activities as an older contemporary of Shakespeare who enjoyed close ties to the Elizabethan and Jacobean literary world. A detailed, fresh, and readable account of a composer who was revered by his colleagues as "our Phoenix" and "a Father of Music", Byrd is essential reading for scholars, students, and performers of early music, as well as general readers interested in the musical world of Renaissance England.

Genres: Music, Biography

282 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sam U · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book filled in the gaps in Byrd’s life with a lot of evidence-based speculation. I in particular enjoyed the last chapter where the author was guessing the personality of Byrd, based on his recorded acts and words.
The analysis of his musical pieces, both sacred and secular, is also very satisfying.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography of English Renaissance composer William Byrd was just right. Just the right amount of detail, the right mix of musical analysis and biographical information, and the right kind of intelligent yet readable prose for a more academic book. I also very much appreciated that McCarthy chose to integrate the biography and the musical description and analysis rather than sequestering them in separate sections. It's much more enjoyable to read that way and gives a more holistic picture of a composer and their work. McCarthy also gave plenty of attention to the most interesting aspects of Byrd's life and work: his status as a Catholic in Elizabethan England, and his work's role in the development of Tudor music.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me over a year to read, but not because it was long or uninteresting. Rather, I made slow progress because each chapter references numerous Byrd compositions (including excerpts from the sheet music), so reading was an involved exercise that required tracking down and listening to the music being discussed. I enjoyed the process of learning about English renaissance music, and it was an interesting window into the Elizabethan/Jacobean world that I knew nothing about—particularly so because Byrd was an unapologetic recusant in a country that had outlawed the practice of Catholicism.

If there's a criticism, it is that the musical description sometimes tended toward the uninformatively technical. But overall well worth the time invested.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography of one the great Tudor composers.