Book Description
An annotated critical edition of twelve lectures by William Sterndale Bennett (1816-75), the foremost English musician of the mid-Victorian period, principal of the Royal Academy, and conductor of the Philharmonic Society. Delivered at the London Institution and Cambridge University between 1858 and 1871, they are valuable both as representative of the Victorian understanding of musical history, and for Bennett's astute comments on the state of music andmusical life at the time. They include admonishments to the British government for failing to offer adequate financial support to the art; interesting and often surprising views on many contemporary composers; and discourses on his own experiences as a professional musician. The lectures are presented with annotations which identify the persons, institutions and compositions referred to in the text. An extensive introduction sets the lectures in context and reflects on their significance to English musical history and to Bennett's personal career. NICHOLAS TEMPERLEY is Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of Illinois. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on December 1, 1997. The length of the article is 796 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: William Sterndale Bennett: A Descriptive Thematic Catalogue.
Author: Peter Ward Jones
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1997
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: v54Issue: n2Page: p483(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
Sir William Sterndale Bennett (1816-75) was the leading English composer of the mid-nineteenth century.His music was highly regarded by Mendelssohn and Schumann, and was at one time widely played in Germany.Interest in his music is growing in scholarly and performing circles, but most of his music remains obscure and unknown.The book presents a record of Bennett's total achievement for the first time and is aimed at both the general reader and the scholar.Each entry in the catalogue begins with a summary of the work's history, followed by detailed descriptions of all the authentic manuscript and printed sources with their locations, a list of important performances, references to the work in the composer's mostly unpublished diaries and correspondence, and a bibliogrpahy.An introduction sets the sources in their historical context, and there are appendices on Bennett's notebooks, the paper used in the autographs, the plate numbers in the printed music, and chronological and generic lists of all the works.Based on the author's extensive research in libraries, archives and private collections in Britain and Germany, the catalogue is an important reference and source book for all those interested in British music and nineteenth-century music. ... Read more