A Popular History of the Art of Music : From the Earliest Times Until the Present

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mathews, W. S. B. (William Smythe Babcock), 1837-1912.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"A Popular History of the Art of Music" by W. S. B. Mathews is a historical account written in the late 19th century. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of music from ancient times to the present-day context, covering musical instruments, scales, and notable composers. It aims to make the intricate history of music accessible to the general reader while highlighting significant milestones in musical development. The opening of the work presents the author's intent to create an engaging narrative that encapsulates the history of music within a single volume, a task generally reserved for much larger texts. Mathews emphasizes the necessity of examining music's evolution alongside its cultural and social contexts, and he outlines the book's structure, dividing it into distinct historical periods. He sets the stage for a more detailed exploration of ancient musical practices, starting with the Egyptians, and describes how fundamental music has evolved in sophistication and emotional depth over the centuries, establishing the groundwork for the more elaborate discussions that will follow in the text. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Linda Cantoni, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Notes:

Reading ease score: 55.4 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.

Release date is 2007-01-05