The Sound of Medieval Song by Timothy J Mcgee
The Sound of Medieval Song is a study of how sacred and secular music was actually sung during the Middle Ages. The source of the information is the actual notation in the early manuscripts as well as statements found in approximately 50 theoretical treatises written between the years 600-1500. The writings describe various singing practices and both desirable and undesirable vocal techniques, providing a fairly accurate picture of how singers approached the music of the period. Detailed descriptions of the types and uses of improvised ornament indicate that in performance the music was highly ornate, and included trill, gliss, reverberation, pulsation, pitch inflection, non-diatonic tones, and cadenza-like passages of various lengths. The treatises also provide evidence of stylistic differences in various geographical locations. McGee draws conclusions about the kind of vocal production and techniques necessary in order to reproduce the music as it was performed during the Middle Ages, aligning the practices much more closely with those of the Middle East than has ever been previously acknowledged.
Far too little work is being done on medieval performance practice and McGee is one of the few authors to have entered this arena (the gladiatorial image is chosen advisedly)McGee's work will be received with considerable interest. * Christopher Page *
Studied at Universities of Notre Dame, Yale, Connecticut, Pittsburgh; Founding Director of The Toronto Consort
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780198166191 |
| ISBN 10 | 0198166192 |
| Title | The Sound of Medieval Song |
| Author | Timothy J Mcgee |
| Series | Oxford Monographs On Music |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Year published | 1998-04-02 |
| Number of pages | 216 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |