Baroque Music: Music in Western Europe, 1580-1750

by John Walter Hill

John Walter Hill’s highly anticipated text presents a broad survey of the music of Western Europe from 1580 to 1750. This essential addition to the Norton Introduction to Music History series provides a comprehensive introduction to the music of the Baroque, incorporating discussions of culture, religion, and political history with in-depth analysis of musical compositions. The narrative is complemented by a wide range of music in both the text and the accompanying Anthology of Baroque Music ; the works included reflect the innovations and great stylistic diversity of music during this dynamic period.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction

525 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2005

Reviews

[Drunken_orangetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most thorough, scholarly, and up-to-date take on Baroque music that I am aware of. Besides the excellent overviews of music in Italy, France, and German-speaking lands, the text includes substantial chapters on music in Spain, Portugal, and the Spanish New World as well as extensive surveys of British music. The focus tends to be more analytical than cultural.

Hill and his publisher, W. W. Norton, have placed a substantial amount of printed music online at the Norton website. In addition, Hill and his students recorded a number of rarely performed works and made them freely available, along with their scores, on youtube. Use this text and those resources with other material available through imslp.org and your local libraries, and you will grow immensely more familiar with a fascinating period in our musical culture.