Shakespeare And Music

by David Lindley (Editor)

This unique and comprehensive study examines how music affects Shakespeare's plays and addresses the ways in which contemporary audiences responded to it. David Lindley sets the musical scene of Early Modern England, establishing the kinds of music heard in the streets, the alehouses, private residences and the theatres of the period and outlining the period's theoretical understanding of music. Focusing throughout on the plays as theatrical performances, this work analyzes the ways Shakespeare explores and exploits the conflicting perceptions of music at the time and its dramatic and thematic potential.

Paperback

First published September 26, 2005

About the author

David Lindley is a theoretical physicist and author. He holds a B.A. in theoretical physics from Cambridge University and a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Sussex. Then he was a postdoctoral researcher at Cambridge University.

Reviews

[Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt that this book was good at pointing out the different uses of music in Shakespeare. What I felt it lacked was the critical aspect of it. It was still very good at highlighting differences and similarities, but it didn't seem to show why the music is used in the way that it is, and how.

The first section - about the musical culture in the Renaissance was particularly useful.