Philip II of Spain founded the great Spanish monastery and royal palace of El Escorial in 1563, promoting within it a musical foundation whose dual function as royal chapel and monastery in the service of a Counter Reformation monarch was unique; this volume explores the performance and composition of liturgical music there from its beginnings to the death of Charles II in 1700. It traces the ways in which music styles and practices responded to the the changing functions of the institution, challenging notions about Spanish musical patronage, scrutinising musical manuscripts, uncovering the biographical details of hundreds of musicians, and examining musical practices.
Michael Noone is Professor of Musicology at the University of Hong Kong.
Reviews
An interesting book; about half the book is devoted to narrative, full of often-lengthy and always fascinating quotations from the sources. This is followed by catalogues of polyphonic MSS from the Escorial, biographies of the musicians, the Spanish texts of some documents and two samples of music from the MSS. --EARLY MUSIC REVIEW July 1998, Vol. 42
Michael Noone's book is something of a trailblazer...it is a valuable, and at the moment unique, corrective. --MUSICAL TIMES, Autumn 1998
Noone's work will inspire and inform future research in a wide variety of areas. --NOTES, March 1999
A solid achievement that will be an important work of reference for years to come. --MUSIC AND LETTERS
Details
First Published: 10 Feb 1998
13 Digit ISBN: 9781878822710
Pages: 416
Size: 22.8 x 15.2
Binding: Hardback
Imprint: University of Rochester Press
Series:
Eastman Studies in MusicSubject:
MusicBIC Class: AV
Details updated on 24 May 2013
