RCM Director Colin Lawson edits ground-breaking early music book
Friday 9 November 2018
Professor Colin Lawson CBE has co-edited a significant reference book for historical performance practice: The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Historical Performance in Music. Published by Cambridge University Press, the book includes contributions from many Royal College of Music staff members, including Director of Research, Professor Richard Wistreich, Chair of Historical Performance, Professor Ashley Solomon and Royal College of Music Museum Curator, Professor Gabriele Rossi Rognini.
The fully up-to-date encyclopedia comprises 700 pages of illuminating and accessible entries in categories including issues of style, techniques and practices; the history and development of musical instruments; and the work of performers, scholars, theorists, composers and editors. Focusing on performance, the book will assist readers in rediscovering and recreating as closely as possible how musical works may originally have sounded.
Professor Lawson commented: ‘It was a pleasure to edit this book alongside my talented co-editor Professor Robin Stowell. We hope that it will prove to be a useful and effective starting point for those wishing to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of early music and performance. I am grateful beyond measure to all of the contributors, including my knowledgeable Royal College of Music colleagues.’
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Historical Performance in Music features contributions from more than 100 leading experts who provide a geographically varied survey of theory and practice, as well as evaluation of and opinions on the resolution of problems in period performance. Recent decades have seen a major increase of interest in historical performance practice, and this timely book is an essential resource for students, scholars, teachers, performers and audiences alike.
RCM contributors include: Professor Terence Charlston, Dr Geoffrey Govier, Professor Trevor Herbert, Dr Peter Horton, Professor Richard Langham Smith, Jakob Lindberg, Peter Linnitt, Dr Natasha Loges, Dr Michael Oliva, Dr Ingrid E. Pearson, Professor Gabriele Rossi Rognini, Professor Ashley Solomon, Wouter Verschuren, Professor Aaron Williamon, Professor Richard Wistreich
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Historical Performance in Music can be pre-ordered on the Cambridge University Press website.
