The Praise of Musicke, 1586: An Edition with Commentary (Music Theory in Britain, 1500–1700: Critical Editions)

This volume provides the first printed critical edition of __The Praise of Musicke__ (1586), keeping the original text intact and accompanied by an analytical commentary. Against the Puritan attacks on liturgical music, __The Praise of Musicke__, the first apologetic treatise on music in English, epitomizes the Renaissance defence of music in civil and religious life. While existing studies of __The Praise of Musicke__ are limited to the question of authorship, the present volume scrutinizes its musical discourse, which recapitulates major issues in the ancient philosophy and theology of music, considering the contemporary practice of sacred and secular music. Through an interdisciplinary analysis of __The Praise of Musicke__, combining historical musicology with philosophical theology, this study situates the treatise and its author within the wider historical, intellectual and religious context of musical polemics and apologetics of the English Reformation, thereby appraising its significance in the history of musical theory and literature. The book throws fresh light on this substantial but neglected treatise that presents, with critical insights, the most learned discussion of music from classical antiquity to the Renaissance and Reformation era. In doing so it offers a new interpretation of the treatise, which marks a milestone in the history of musical apologetics. "This volume provides the first printed critical edition of The Praise of Musicke (1586), keeping the original text intact and accompanied by an analytical commentary. Against the Puritan attacks on liturgical music, The Praise of Musicke, the first apologetic treatise on music in English, epitomizes the Renaissance defense of music in civil and religious life. While existing studies of The Praise of Musicke are limited to the question of authorship, the present volume scrutinizes its musical discourse, which recapitulates major issues in the ancient philosophy and theology of music, considering the contemporary practice of sacred and secular music. Through an interdisciplinary analysis of The Praise of Musicke, combining historical musicology with philosophical theology, this study situates the treatise and its author within the wider historical, intellectual and religious context of musical polemics and apologetics of the English Reformation, thereby appraising its significance in the history of musical theory and literature. The book throws fresh light on this substantial but neglected treatise that presents, with critical insights, the most learned discussion of music from classical antiquity to the Renaissance and Reformation era. In doing so it offers a new interpretation of the treatise, which marks a milestone in the history of musical apologetics."--Provided by publisher Cover Title Copyright Contents List of figures Series editor’s preface Preface PART I The Praise of Musicke and its contexts 1 Introduction 2 The treatise: contents and structure 3 Sources 4 The identity of the author 5 The intellectual contexts for The Praise of Musicke a) Musical polemics in the English Reformation Humanist moralism and music Puritan polemics against music and musicians b) Musical apologetics in Elizabethan England The defence of singing in the Church Thomas Lodge and Richard Mulcaster Matthew Gwinne and John Case 6 Editing The Praise of Musicke PART II Text and commentary Editorial policy The Praise of Mvsicke The preface to the Reader 1. The Antiqvitie and Original of Mvsicke 2. The Dignitie of Mvsicke 3. The Svavitie of Mvsicke 4. The Effects and Operation of Mvsicke 5. The Necessitie of Mvsicke 6. The Vse of Mvsick Generallie in the Course of our Life 7. The Particvler Vse of Mvsicke in Ciuill Matters 8. The Particvler Vse of Musicke in Warlike Matters 9. The Lawfvl Vse of Mvsicke in the Chvrch 10. The Lawfvll Vse of Chvrch Mvsicke 11. Sentences of the Scripture, for the Vse of Church Musick 12. A Refvtation of Obiections Against the Lawful Vse of Musicke in the Church Notes Bibliography Glossary Index