A Cultural History of Western Music

Music has been significant in social, religious, and political ritual, and in education, art, and entertainment in all human cultures from antiquity to today. A Cultural History of Western Music presents the first study of music in all its forms – ritual, classical, popular and commercial. The work is divided into 6 volumes, with each volume covering the same topics, so readers can either study a period/volume or follow a topic across history.

The volumes are:

1. A Cultural History of Western Music in Antiquity

2. A Cultural History of Western Music in the Middle Ages

3. A Cultural History of Western Music in the Renaissance

4. A Cultural History of Western Music in the Age of Enlightenment

5. A Cultural History of Western Music in the Industrial Age

6. A Cultural History of Western Music in the Modern Age

Themes (and chapter titles) are: identity, communities and society; changing philosophies and ideas about music; politics and power; musical exchange and knowledge transfer between the West and the non-West; musical education; popular culture and musical entertainment; the places, practices, and experiences of performance; and the development of music technologies and media.

The page extent for the pack is approximately 1712pp. Each volume opens with notes on contributors and an introduction and concludes with notes, bibliography, and an index.

The Cultural Histories Series

A Cultural History of Western Music is part of The Cultural Histories Series. Titles are available as hardcover sets for libraries needing just one subject or preferring a tangible reference for their shelves or as part of a fully-searchable digital library. The digital product is available to institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access via www.bloomsburyculturalhistory.com . Individual volumes for academics and researchers interested in specific historical periods are also available in print or digitally via www.bloomsburycollections.com.