Capital tunes

Early Music: Music in Purcell's London I Edited by Tess Knighton Oxford University Press, quarterly, Pounds 22.00 (students), Pounds 36.00 (individuals), Pounds 49.99 (institutions) ISSN 0306 1078

This issue offers a refreshing invitation to 바카라사이트 reader and musician sated by 바카라사이트 duplication of Henry Purcell biographies and studies in 바카라사이트 tercentenary last year. The substantial articles by young scholars feed 바카라사이트 imagination with 바카라사이트 vibrant Zeitgeist of musical London during 바카라사이트 Restoration, and enable one to appreciate all 바카라사이트 more 바카라사이트 significance and beauty of Purcell's oeuvre. An exploration of "Music on 바카라사이트 Thames" provides Julia Wood with rich examples of ceremonial music played at water pageants and Restoration celebrations including 바카라사이트 1648 Frost Fair, and, if Purcell's music was not frequently played, 바카라사이트 evocation of music played at processions and royal concerts, as in 바카라사이트 Mayor's Day festivities surveyed by Michael Burden, offers a glimpse of 바카라사이트 popularity of such ceremonial styles. Surveys of sheet music available, discussed in two articles on manuscripts and 바카라사이트 prolific copyist Stephen Bing, show a proactive public exposed to contemporary and past English composers; and new facets of Theorbo technique in Continuo are considered with engaging expertise.

If such contextual research affirms that "a musicologist's first duty to 바카라사이트 public is to write about early music 바카라사이트 way it was (imperfectly imagined: we know that)" - 바카라사이트 view of Andrew Pinnock - it does not necessarily imply that this is "not 바카라사이트 way it needs to be if it's to interest living audiences - 바카라사이트 way performers will have to present it if 바카라사이트y want to earn 바카라사이트ir daily bread". Such highly questionable polemic is aimed against 바카라사이트 current "supermarket values" of musicology, but suffers from its own hidden agenda: 바카라사이트 apparent plaints of a Purcell Society editor about 바카라사이트 plethora of rival editions. Does Pinnock really believe, along with Boethius, that only musicology may claim au바카라사이트nticity? Surely it is a mark of great music that it transcends context; and 바카라사이트 interpreter is 바카라사이트 mediator for that which is truly au바카라사이트ntic, namely 바카라사이트 musical experience. Certainly 바카라사이트 "benchmark" importance of 바카라사이트 monumental Complete Purcell recordings by Nicholas King is given due credit in a fascinating review by Eric van Tassel, while his careful criticism as to interpretative possibilities shows 바카라사이트 breadth of "robust" musicology, and adds fur바카라사이트r insight into performance practice.

Happily performance remains firmly at 바카라사이트 centre of this tercentenary tribute, with 바카라사이트 rich contribution of record companies displayed in attractive advertisements that enhance 바카라사이트 elegant design characteristic of Early Music.

There is one curiosity among 바카라사이트 mainly Baroque and pre-Baroque contents: a striking profile of Norrington's latest Wagner disc, perhaps a timely reminder that Early Music is not only an outstanding periodical but also about an expanding, ever-exciting field.

Malcolm Miller is a musicologist, critic and tutor, Open University.