Critical and Historical Essays
Lectures delivered at Columbia University
Critical and Historical Essays, published in 1912, collects the lectures the composer Edward MacDowell gave as the first professor of music at Columbia University, edited after his death by W. J. Baltzell. MacDowell traces music from its origins in speech and song through the music of the Hebrews, Hindus, Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans and the early church, explains the formation of the scale and of notation, the beginnings of counterpoint under Hucbald and Guido d'Arezzo, the history of instruments, the troubadours and minnesingers, the growth of instrumental forms from the dance suite to the sonata and piano music, and the mystery plays and the birth of opera. The closing essay on suggestion in music states his own aesthetic. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first chapter is free.
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Frequently asked questions about Critical and Historical Essays
Critical and Historical Essays by Edward MacDowell can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
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Is Critical and Historical Essays in the public domain?
Yes. Critical and Historical Essays by Edward MacDowell is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
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About 4 h 40 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is Critical and Historical Essays?
Critical and Historical Essays by Edward MacDowell is filed under "History" in the Vinteuil library.
