A CULTURAL HISTORY OF WESTERN MUSIC IN THE MIDDLE AGES

A Cultural History of Western Music in the Middle Ages covers the period from 500 to 1400. This epoch recast earlier approaches to music to suit new musical forms developed under the auspices of the Christian Church. Political and religious change also prompted innovative forms of transmission for music of all kinds. The invention of new forms of notation, the emergence of novel instruments, and the establishment of educational structures all contributed to the systematic training of musicians and the creation of a distinct musical culture.

The 6 volume set of the Cultural History of Western Music presents the first comprehensive history from classical antiquity to today, covering all forms and aspects of music and its ever-changing social context. The themes covered in each volume are society; philosophies; politics; exchange; education; popular culture; performance; and technologies.

The Cultural Histories Series
A Cultural History of Western Music is part of The Cultural Histories Series. Titles are available as hardcover sets for libraries needing just one subject or preferring a tangible reference for their shelves or as part of a fully-searchable digital library. The digital product is available to institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access via www.bloomsburyculturalhistory.com . Individual volumes for academics and researchers interested in specific historical periods are also available in print or digitally via www.bloomsburycollections.com .

Elizabeth Eva Leach is professor of music at the University of Oxford, specializing in the later middle ages. Her books include Sung Birds: Music, Nature, and Poetry in the Later Middle Ages (2007) and Guillaumede Machaut: Secretary, Poet, Musician (2011). She was awarded the Dent Medal of the RMA in 2013 and was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2016.


Helen Deeming, a reader at Royal Holloway (London). Her books include the edition Songs in British Sources, c.1150-1300 (Musica Britannica, 2013) and the edited collection Manuscripts and Medieval Song: Inscription, Performance, Context (CUP, 2015).