DOCSLIB.ORG

NOAH GREENBERG and the NEW YORK PRO Musica

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
NOAH GREENBERG and the NEW YORK PRO Musica INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or “target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “ Missing Page(s)” . I f it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark, it is an indication of either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, duplicate copy, or copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed. For blurred pages, a good image o f the page can be found in the adjacent frame. If copyrighted materials were deleted, a target note will appear listing the pages in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photographed, a definite method of “sectioning” the material has been followed. It is customary to begin filming at the upper left hand comer o f a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For illustrations that cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by xerographic means, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and inserted into your xerographic copy. These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases tlie best available copy has been filmed. University Microfilms International aoON.Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 1325391 Gaskiil, Sarah Jane THE ARTIST AS MANAGER: NOAH GREENBERG AND THE NEW YORK PRO MUSiCA The American University M.A. 1984 University Microfilms Intern stionei300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Copyright 1984 by Gaskiil, Sarah Jane All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE ARTIST AS MANAGER: NOAH GREENBERG AND THE NEW YORK PRO MUSICA by Sarah Jane Gaskiil Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Arts Management Signatures of Committee: Chair: B- Mgy-'oo j / - Qk ciA is . fei Dean of the Colleg^/y Daté/ 1984 The American University Washington, D.C. 20016 ^ ^ il-HE AH S H I C i J UNIVEKSITY LIBRARY Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. @ Copyright by Sarah Jane Gaskiil 1984 All rights reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. For my parents, whose constant support enabled me to find my way this far. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE ARTIST AS MANAGER: NOAH GREENBERG AND THE NEW YORK PRO MUSICA by Sarah Jane Gaskiil ABSTRACT Founded by Noah Greenberg in 1952, the New York Pro Musica was uniquely responsible for the revival of early music performance in the United States. Several themes emerge from a study of the New York Pro Musica. America's first professional early music ensemble had a clear sense of its mission, an emphasis on artistic development, and the desire to provide its artists full-time employment. As artist and manager, Noah Greenberg took ultimate responsibility for the organiza­ tion. Based on archival research and interviews with principal associates of the organization, this paper traces these themes chronologically, beginning with the early years (1952-57) and progressing through a middle period of growth (1957-62) toward the final period of expansion (1962-66). In 1966, Noah Greenberg died. The New York Pro Musica continued operations until 1974 but could not survive its founder. XI Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, it was the complete cooperation of Toni Greenberg that made this paper possible at all. I owe her thanks for providing access to the archival materials and for permitting the reprint of some of them here; for spending generous amounts of time answering my questions and allowing the reproduction of parts of those interviews here; for reading the entire draft; and for encouraging this project from the start. All sources in the New York Pro Musica Archives now housed at the New York Public Library are quoted by permission of Toni Greenberg. Thanks go to George Schuetze for providing the original inspira­ tion of the topic in the spring of 1981; to Jo Ellen Grzyb for graciously providing access to the archival materials during the period they were housed in her Manhattan studio; and to Steven Ledbetter and Lynn Trowbridge for their encouragement and sound advice early on. Special appreciation is due Richard F. French for suggesting the format of a chronological history, for contributing other valuable advice and information, and for reading the complete draft. Lastly, without the sage criticism and guidance of Massimo Ossi, this paper would never have found its way from draft to final copy. I'm grateful for his insistence that the highest standards of scholar­ ship be maintained from start to finish. Ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CONTENTS ABSTRACT . 1 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS LU CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ............................... 1 CHAPTER II. THE EARLY YEARS: i952-57 7 1953-54 (12)— 1954-55 (16) — 1955-56 (19)— 1956-57 (21)— Summary: The Early Years (26) CHAPTER III. ORDERLY GROOTH, PART 1: 1957-62 29 Rockefeller Foundation Grants (29)— 1957-58 (34)— 1958-59 (39) — 1959-60 (44)— 1960-61 (52)— 1961-62 (58)— Summary : 1957-62 (62) CHAPTER IV. ORDERLY GROOTH, PART 2: 1962-66 65 Ford Foundation Grant (65)— 1962-63 (72)— 1963-64 (76)— 1964-65 (84)— 1965-66 (89)— Summary: 1962-66 (91) CHAPTER V. EPILOGUE: 1966-74............................ 93 APPENDIX A. CHRONOLOGICAL DISCOGRAPHY .................. 104 APPENDIX B. PUBLICATIONS ................................ 109 APPENDIX C. ATTACHMENT TO THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION . 115 APPENDIX D. TRIBUTE TO NOAH GREENBERG BY DENIS STEVENS 117 REFERENCES .............................................. 120 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In the early 1950s, American audiences occasionally had the opportunity to hear concerts of early music performed by student groups at universities or by visiting European ensembles. There existed, however, no professional American ensemble devoted solely to the study and performance of music written between 1200 and 1700. Until a few decades ago, people who spoke of "early music" usually meant a body of composition featuring intensive counter­ point and strange harmonies, offering limited resources for emotional expression, and appealing only to an audience of specialists and scholars. One respected it, of course; one paid a certain homage to the distant names of Josquin and Lassus, Palestrina and Monteverdi; but it was student stuff, with no practical application. Much of the music had to be reconstructed before it could be performed, and performing it required special training. The scholars who did the reconstructions and undertook to lead the performances often had no particular talent as executant musicians, and the singers who worked under their direction were almost invariably eager amateurs or conscientious undergraduates, whose vocalism was breathy and insecure and commonly off pitch. Whatever the beauties of the music, such performances could have little appeal, even for a sophisticated audience. And the absence of a considerable ticket-buying audience kept professional singers from trying their hand at the music. A vicious circle of classic dimension was in operation to restrict the enjoyment of medieval and Renaissance music to a cult of devotees.1 One major factor led to a change in the early music scene in the Martin Mayer, "Musical Echoes of the Renaissance," The Reporter, September 5, 1957 (38-40), p. 38. I am indebted to this article for much of the background information and early history of Pro Musica. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 United States: the growth of the phonograph record, which both opened up a world-wide market for early music and released performers from dependence on local audiences.^ A pioneer who took advantage of the expansion of the recording industry was Noah Greenberg, who led the revival of early music in the United States with his organization, the New York Pro Musica, which he founded in 1952. Pro Musica consisted of a core
Load more

Recommended publications
  • An Historical and Analytical Study of Renaissance Music for the Recorder and Its Influence on the Later Repertoire Vanessa Woodhill University of Wollongong
    University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 1986 An historical and analytical study of Renaissance music for the recorder and its influence on the later repertoire Vanessa Woodhill University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Woodhill, Vanessa, An historical and analytical study of Renaissance music for the recorder and its influence on the later repertoire, Master of Arts thesis, School of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, 1986. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/2179 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] AN HISTORICAL AND ANALYTICAL STUDY OF RENAISSANCE MUSIC FOR THE RECORDER AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE LATER REPERTOIRE by VANESSA WOODHILL. B.Sc. L.T.C.L (Teachers). F.T.C.L A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the School of Creative Arts in the University of Wollongong. "u»«viRsmr •*"! This thesis is submitted in accordance with the regulations of the University of Wotlongong in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. I hereby certify that the work embodied in this thesis is the result of original research and has not been submitted for a higher degree at any other University or similar institution. Copyright for the extracts of musical works contained in this thesis subsists with a variety of publishers and individuals. Further copying or publishing of this thesis may require the permission of copyright owners. Signed SUMMARY The material in this thesis approaches Renaissance music in relation to the recorder player in three ways.
    [Show full text]
  • Image and Influence: the Political Uses of Music at the Court of Elizabeth I
    Image and Influence: The Political Uses of Music at the Court of Elizabeth I Katherine Anne Butler Royal Holloway, University of London Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Acknowledgements With thanks to all the people who supported me throughout my research, especially: My supervisor, Stephen Rose, My advisors, Elizabeth Eva Leach and Anna Whitelock, The Arts and Humanities Research Council for funding this research, Royal Holloway Music Department for conference grants, My proofreaders, Holly Winterton, Sarah Beal, Janet McKnight and my Mum, My parents and my fiancé, Chris Wedge, for moral support and encouragement. Declaration of Authorship I, Katherine Butler, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is always clearly stated. Signed: ______________________ Date: ________________________ 2 Abstract In their Cantiones sacrae (1575), court musicians William Byrd and Thomas Tallis declared that ‘music is indispensable to the state’ (necessarium reipub.). Yet although the relationship between Elizabethan politics and literature has been studied often, there has been little research into the political functions of music. Most accounts of court music consist of documentary research into the personnel, institutions and performance occasions, and generally assume that music’s functions were limited to entertainment and displays of magnificence. However, Elizabethans believed that musical concord promoted a social harmony that would ease the process of government; hence politics and music were seen as closely connected. This thesis is an interdisciplinary investigation into the role of music in constructing royal and courtly identities and influencing Elizabeth’s policies and patronage.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Music Past and Present
    Understanding Music Past and Present N. Alan Clark, PhD Thomas Heflin, DMA Jeffrey Kluball, EdD Elizabeth Kramer, PhD Understanding Music Past and Present N. Alan Clark, PhD Thomas Heflin, DMA Jeffrey Kluball, EdD Elizabeth Kramer, PhD Dahlonega, GA Understanding Music: Past and Present is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribu- tion-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. This license allows you to remix, tweak, and build upon this work, even commercially, as long as you credit this original source for the creation and license the new creation under identical terms. If you reuse this content elsewhere, in order to comply with the attribution requirements of the license please attribute the original source to the University System of Georgia. NOTE: The above copyright license which University System of Georgia uses for their original content does not extend to or include content which was accessed and incorpo- rated, and which is licensed under various other CC Licenses, such as ND licenses. Nor does it extend to or include any Special Permissions which were granted to us by the rightsholders for our use of their content. Image Disclaimer: All images and figures in this book are believed to be (after a rea- sonable investigation) either public domain or carry a compatible Creative Commons license. If you are the copyright owner of images in this book and you have not authorized the use of your work under these terms, please contact the University of North Georgia Press at [email protected] to have the content removed. ISBN: 978-1-940771-33-5 Produced by: University System of Georgia Published by: University of North Georgia Press Dahlonega, Georgia Cover Design and Layout Design: Corey Parson For more information, please visit http://ung.edu/university-press Or email [email protected] TABLE OF C ONTENTS MUSIC FUNDAMENTALS 1 N.
    [Show full text]
  • English Lute Manuscripts and Scribes 1530-1630
    ENGLISH LUTE MANUSCRIPTS AND SCRIBES 1530-1630 An examination of the place of the lute in 16th- and 17th-century English Society through a study of the English Lute Manuscripts of the so-called 'Golden Age', including a comprehensive catalogue of the sources. JULIA CRAIG-MCFEELY Oxford, 2000 A major part of this book was originally submitted to the University of Oxford in 1993 as a Doctoral thesis ENGLISH LUTE MANUSCRIPTS AND SCRIBES 1530-1630 All text reproduced under this title is © 2000 JULIA CRAIG-McFEELY The following chapters are available as downloadable pdf files. Click in the link boxes to access the files. README......................................................................................................................i EDITORIAL POLICY.......................................................................................................iii ABBREVIATIONS: ........................................................................................................iv General...................................................................................iv Library sigla.............................................................................v Manuscripts ............................................................................vi Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century printed sources............................ix GLOSSARY OF TERMS: ................................................................................................XII Palaeographical: letters..............................................................xii
    [Show full text]
  • Handel-Messiah.Pdf
    Notes on the Program By James M. Keller, Program Annotator, The Leni and Peter May Chair Messiah George Frideric Handel hen George Frideric Handel received nal announced a couple of weeks in advance). W an invitation to produce a series After the open rehearsal, The Dublin News of concerts in Dublin in 1741, the idea of a Letter pronounced that the new oratorio, “in change of scenery from the failing fortunes the opinion of the best judges, far surpasses of his operatic ventures in London appealed anything of that Nature, which has been per- to him. He traveled to Ireland in November formed in this or any other Kingdom.” The of that year and remained until August 13, Journal concurred that it “was allowed by the 1742. He took along with him the score to his greatest Judges to be the finest Composition new oratorio Messiah, which would become of Musick that ever was heard, and the sacred the high point of his Dublin season when it Words as properly adapted for the Occasion.” was premiered in April 1742. It continued with advice for persons lucky Early in the summer of 1741, Charles Jen- enough to hold tickets for the official premiere: nens had assembled a libretto that drew cre- atively on Biblical passages from the Books IN SHORT of Isaiah, Haggai, Malachi, Matthew, Luke, Zechariah, John, Psalms, Lamentations, Born: February 23, 1685, in Halle, Prussia Hebrews, Romans, I Corinthians, and Reve- (Germany) lation to create a loose story comprising nar- Died: April 14, 1759, in London, England rative and reflections about the life of Jesus.
    [Show full text]
  • Teaching Countertenors: Integrating Countertenor Pedagogy Into the Collegiate Studio
    TEACHING COUNTERTENORS: INTEGRATING COUNTERTENOR PEDAGOGY INTO THE COLLEGIATE STUDIO BY PETER G. THORESEN Submitted to the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, Doctor of Music, Indiana University May, 2012 Accepted by the faculty of the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Music. ___________________________________ Patricia Havranek, Research Director/ Chairperson __________________________________ Brent Gault __________________________________ Brian Horne __________________________________ Patricia Wise ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am deeply grateful to my friends and family for their counsel and continued questions about countertenors. Specifically, I wish to thank Joseph Mace for his patience and generosity of spirit and time throughout the course of this examination. I am indebted to the members of my research committee, and wish to thank my research director, chairperson, and voice teacher, Professor Patricia Havranek for her seemingly endless supply of encouragement, guidance, and knowledge of vocal pedagogy. I also wish to thank Dr. Estelle Jorgensen for teaching me how to properly organize my thoughts, synthesize those of others, and convey them to readers. I dedicate this doctoral document to the memory of my former teacher, Inez Altman Crofts, who introduced me to the word countertenor. I also dedicate this examination to the memory of Professor Paul Kiesgen, whose love and knowledge of voice teaching continue to shape me as a teacher, scholar, and colleague. iii CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii Chapter 1. Introduction: A Call for Integration 1 Chapter 2. Respiration 16 Chapter 3. Phonation 33 Chapter 4. Resonance 53 Chapter 5. Repertoire 71 Chapter 6.
    [Show full text]
  • The Prehistory and Reception of Leonard Bernstein's Missa
    The prehistory and reception of Leonard Bernstein’s Missa Brevis (1988) by Patrick Connor Dittamo B.A., College of William and Mary, 2013 A THESIS submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MUSIC School of Music, Theatre, and Dance College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2019 Approved by: Major Professor Craig Weston Copyright © 2019 Patrick Connor Dittamo. All rights reserved. Abstract Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) commonly repurposed previously-written material in new compositions, including his Missa Brevis (1988), which adapted significant portions of his incidental music for Lillian Hellman’s play The Lark (1955), itself an adaptation of French playwright Jean Anouilh’s play L’Alouette (1953) about the trial of Joan of Arc. Based on an assessment of The Lark’s mixed reception history as a play, Bernstein’s score, recorded by the New York Pro Musica, deserves some credit for the original Broadway run’s considerable success. Bernstein’s Medieval- and Renaissance-inflected score was written shortly before the play’s tryout run in Boston, and used fragments of verse by Adam de la Halle (c. 1245-1288/1306) and Jean-Antoine de Baïf (1532-1589), as well as the tune of the French folksong “Plantons la Vigne,” and not the commonly-cited “Vive la Grappe.” Bernstein and the New York Pro Musica were well- compensated for their contributions to The Lark; however, during the play’s national tour, there was a pay dispute over reduced royalties between Bernstein’s agent and the play’s management. Before the New York premiere of The Lark, Bernstein expressed a belief that its incidental score held a viable “kernel of a short mass,” and considered using a Lark-based missa brevis to fulfill a commission for Juilliard’s fiftieth anniversary, an idea he ultimately abandoned.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Southampton Research Repository Eprints Soton
    University of Southampton Research Repository ePrints Soton Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", University of Southampton, name of the University School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination http://eprints.soton.ac.uk UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON FACULTY OF HUMANITIES Department of Music The English Voice of the Mid-Twentieth Century: Ferrier, Deller and Pears by Xin Ying Ch'ng Thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy March 2016 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON ABSTRACT FACULTY OF HUMANITIES Music Thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy THE ENGLISH VOICE OF THE MID-TWENTIETH CENTURY: FERRIER, DELLER, PEARS Xin Ying Ch’ng This thesis explores how the reception of Kathleen Ferrier, Alfred Deller and Peter Pears’s voices gave new insights into the constructions of national musical identity in mid- twentieth century Britain. I highlight how an exploration of the ‘national voice’ constitutes both an idealisation of musical sound and national belonging. Through voice, I offer not only a new methodological approach to the question of musical nationalism, but also an understanding of its embodiment through concepts of gender and sexuality.
    [Show full text]
  • Indices to Volumes I Through Xxxx of American Recorder
    * * * * * * * * INDICES TO VOLUMES I THROUGH XXXX OF AMERICAN RECORDER Compiled and Edited by Scott Paterson Alan Karass * * * * * * * * Copyright 2009 The American Recorder Society, Inc. ~ 1 ~ Introductory Note The following is a complete index for American Recorder from Volume I through Volume XXXX inclusive. Entries for Volumes I through XXIII were prepared using indices previously compiled by Mary Ausman, Joel Newman, Jean Seiler, Vicki Shult and Waddy Thompson. Many thanks to Gail Nickless and Martha Bixler for help with proofreading. The Author Index includes articles in all other sections except ARS Business, Book Reviews, Chapter News, Music, Music Reviews, Recording Reviews and Reports. ~ 2 ~ Table of Contents Author Index ARS Business Book Reviews Chapter News Consort Playing General History and Literature Historical Treatises Humor Interviews and Profiles Miscellaneous Articles Music Music Reviews Other Instruments Performance Practice Recorder Care and Making Recorder History Recorder in Education Recorder Literature Recorder Technique Recording Reviews Reports Software Reviews ~ 3 ~ AUTHOR INDEX Abbey, Hermione. Winning a Place in the College Curriculum. XXV:2:59 Ambrose, Jane P. Authenticity in Performance: Where do we stand? XXI:2:67 Ambrose, Jane P. The Paris Quartets of Telemann. XIII:1:12 Anastasio, Angelo. Let's Get Those Fingers Limbered Up! XXXV:3:7 Anderson, Loren H. Telemann's Music for Recorder. VIII:1:3 Andresen, Ken. Don't Waste Your Time Practicing! XXXII:4:7 Anonymous. Aestival Education: Where You Can Study Recorder In the Summer of '94. XXXV:2:13 Anonymous. American Recorder Looks in on Music Education. XXXI:2:12 Anonymous. The ARS Teacher's Certificate Examination.
    [Show full text]
  • Thomas Morley and the Business of Music in Elizabethan England
    THOMAS MORLEY AND THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND by TERESA ANN MURRAY A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Music College of Arts and Law The University of Birmingham September 2010 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT Thomas Morley’s family background in Norwich and his later life in London placed him amongst the educated, urban, middle classes. Rising literacy and improving standards of living in English cities helped to develop a society in which amateur music-making became a significant leisure activity, providing a market of consumers for printed recreational music. His visit to the Low Countries in 1591 allowed him to see at first hand a thriving music printing business. Two years later he set out to achieve an income from his own music, initially by publishing collections of light, English-texted, madrigalian vocal works. He broadened his activities by obtaining a monopoly for printed music in 1598 and then by entering into a partnership with William Barley to print music.
    [Show full text]
  • Learning the Lute in Early Modern England, C. 1550-C. 1640
    University of Southampton Research Repository ePrints Soton Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", University of Southampton, name of the University School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination http://eprints.soton.ac.uk UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON FACULTY OF HUMANITIES School of Music Learning the lute in early modern England, c.1550-c.1640 by Michael Gale Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2014 ABSTRACT This study explores the popularity of lute instruction in late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century England and the ways in which this accomplishment was used in constructions of social status. The opening chapter outlines the functions of the lute in early modern English culture and surveys previous research on the instrument and its repertory. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the hierarchical structure of Elizabethan society, highlighting shifting conceptions of “gentle” status during the sixteenth century. The complex position of music within early modern discourses on elite identity is discussed, alongside the potential of lute-playing skills to contribute towards social advancement.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Musical Voices in Sixteenth-Century England
    Early Modern Women: An Interdisciplinary Journal 2008, vol. 3 Women’s Musical Voices in Sixteenth-Century England Linda Phyllis Austern or nearly two hundred years, there has been continuous multi-media Fascription of music and musical activity to the most prominent women of sixteenth-century Britain. From Gaetano Donizetti’s grand Italian operas Anna Bolena and Maria Stuarda in the 1830s through the 2007 Broadway musical extravaganza The Pirate Queen, the female monarchs of England and Scotland have appeared and re-appeared on stage, screen, and endless audio recordings as superb singers in a wide range of post- Renaissance musical styles. Queens Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and a youthful Princess Mary Tudor dance to period music in the 1970 BBC television series The Six Wives of Henry VIII. The ficti- tious gentlewoman Viola de Lesseps does likewise to a late-twentieth- century composition meant to evoke an Elizabethan pavane in the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love. The endless fascination with Elizabeth I alone has given audiences over the past sixty years or so at least one superb opera (Benjamin Britten’s Gloriana of 1953) and a ceaseless supply of films and television mini-series that incidentally depict the young princess and the mature monarch as a dancer, auditor, and participant in many musical ritu- als and ceremonies. A recent trend in historically-informed recordings of sixteenth-century British music has been the compilation of albums whose titles reflect the lives of women, but whose contents generally reinforce the conventions of “great composers” and the public circulation of music.1 What of the actual musical practices of those who inspired these wide- ranging characterizations and marketing ploys? What of their kinswomen, their maidservants, their ladies-in-waiting? What sorts of musical education 127 128 EMWJ 2008, vol.
    [Show full text]