The Guitar in Stuart England
A Social and Musical History
Published on 27. November 2017
310 pages
978-1-108-33111-1 (ISBN)
Description
This is the first history of the guitar during the reign of the Stuarts, a time of great political and social upheaval in England. In this engaging and original volume, Christopher Page gathers a rich array of portraits, literary works and other, previously unpublished, archival materials in order to create a comprehensive picture of the guitar from its early appearances in Jacobean records, through its heyday at the Restoration court in Whitehall, to its decline in the first decades of the eighteenth century. The book explores the passion of Charles II himself for the guitar, and that of Samuel Pepys, who commissioned the largest repertoire of guitar-accompanied song to survive from baroque Europe. Written in Page's characteristically approachable style, this volume will appeal to general readers as well as to music historians and guitar specialists.
Reviews / Votes
'Reading Christopher Page's monograph is not only a wonderful learning process, but also an emotionally moving experience. His sincere attitude, along with a lively wit, revitalizes the history of the old musical instrument, brings its music and highlights its connections to our century. ... this is the most useful and superb source, not only for people interested in early guitar music, but anybody fascinated with British history.' Taro Takeuchi, The Galpin Society JournalMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
File size
12,15 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-108-33111-1 (9781108331111)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
08/2019
Cambridge University Press
€49.30
Shipment within 15-20 days
Book
11/2017
Cambridge University Press
€129.70
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Christopher Page is a Fellow of the British Academy, Professor of Medieval Music and Literature at the University of Cambridge, Professor of Music in Gresham College, London, and one of the world's foremost scholars of historical performance and musical instruments. This book follows The Guitar in Tudor England (Cambridge, 2015), winner of the 2017 Nicholas Bessaraboff Prize awarded by the American Musical Instrument Society. Christopher Page holds the Dent Medal of the Royal Musical Association awarded for outstanding services to musicology.
Content
Introduction; 1. The guitar in Jacobean and Caroline England (I): court masque and town fashion; 2. The guitar in Jacobean and Caroline England (II): London and lodgings abroad; 3. The restoration court; 4. Regarding the female guitarist; 5. Guitars, gallants and gentlewomen; 6. Samuel Pepys and the guitar all'Italiana; 7. The autumn of the five-course guitar in England.
