Music from the Age of Shakespeare: A Cultural History

When Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1558, England was undergoing tremendous social upheaval. Power struggles between Protestants and Catholics shaped the English music world as musician’s livelihoods were directly linked to their religious allegiances. Music became a form of strategy within court politics and secular music evolved through the musical and poetical influences of the Italian Renaissance. Events of the day were told and retold through music, class and social differences were sung with relish and rituals of love and life were set to music and song. When England defeated the vaunted Spanish Armada in 1588, a victorious nation expressed its jubilation through music. Introducing every important aspect of the Elizabethan music world, this title examines the lives of composers, the evolution of musical instruments, the Elizabethan system of musical notation and the many textures of Elizabethan music. Biographical entries introduce the most significant and prolific composers as well as members of royal society who influenced musical culture. Both familiar and obscure instruments of the era are described with focus on their musical and social contexts and various types of music are defined and illustrated.