Book Description

Over the past 45 years, Keith Polk has been one of the major scholars in the history of musical instruments and their repertories during the period 1300 - 1600. His publications have been extremely helpful in elucidating the development of the instruments, the repertory they performed, and the role played by instruments and instrumentalists in late medieval and Renaissance society. This collection of twelve essays on medieval and Renaissance music performance topics adds to the areas in which Keith Polk has made significant contributions, namely instruments, ensembles, and repertory. The scope of the individual essays varies in terms of geographical and temporal focus, with some involving an issue that was common to all areas of Europe, while others are specifically aimed at a single instrument, ensemble, composition, country, city, or occasion. Most of the essays are historical in nature, centring on how music was performed in particular circumstances, although some are quite practical and explain performance techniques involving voices and instruments. What unites the twelve essays is that they all shed new light on musical performance in Europe during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. The writers chosen for this volume are all highly respected scholars whose writings are always of the highest calibre. Taken as a whole, the essays in this volume make an excellent contribution to the field of music history.