The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Music seeks to provide the most up-to-date knowledge on seventeenth-century music together with a vital questioning of the way in which such a history can be told or put together for our present purposes. Written by a distinguished team of experts in the field, the chapters not only address traditional areas of knowledge such as opera and church music, but also look at the way this extremely diverse and dynamic musical world has been categorised in the past and how its products are viewed from various cultural points of view. While this history does not depart entirely from the traditional study of musical works and their composers, there is a strong emphasis on the institutions, cultures and politics of the age, together with an interrogation of the ways in which music related to contemporary arts, sciences and beliefs.

‘Each of the essays delivers on the book's promise of a strong emphasis on the institutions, cultures, and politics of the age.'

Source: Choice

‘The editors should be commended for constructing such a thorough and such an interesting work. I most highly recommend this volume to all musicologists, students, general historians and all persons interested in the development of music. It is a must for all libraries.'

Source: American Reference Books Annual

‘This History contains an incredible amount of information concerning all aspects of music in that period.'

Source: Opera Journal

'The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Music succeeds equally as a solid reference text and as a fine collection of related essays. It fills a large void in the scholarly literature, and it does so in a way that will engage, inform and enthuse a broad spectrum of readers for years to come.'

Source: Early Music