Presents the story of the orchestra, from 16th-century string bands to the 'classical' orchestra of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. This book documents orchestral organization, instrumentation, social roles, repertoires, and performance practices in Europe and the American colonies.
This is the story of the orchestra, from 16th-century string bands to the "classical" orchestra of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Spitzer and Zaslaw document orchestral organization, instrumentation, social roles, repertories, and performance practices in Europe and the American colonies, concluding around 1800 with the widespread awareness of the orchestra as a central institution in European life.
It should be said straight away that this book has been worth waiting for. Not only is it handsomely produced...and well illustrated, it is also beautifully written...it is extraordinary that this long-awaited book is the first comprehensive account of its origins and development...this book is a fine achievment, and will surely remain the standard work on the subject for a long time to come. Anyone interested in 17th and 18th-century music will get a lot out of it, and it will be required reading for everyone interested in that fascinating institution, the orchestra.
