Author Description

This is a book which treats music in its broad cultural perspective, discussing examples where they are relevant, and making many illuminating and perceptive comments on the way. The book is divided into two halves. The first, comprising medieval through Baroque music, is by Alec Harman with two chapters on Baroque instrumental music by Anthony Milner; the second, by Wilfrid Mellers, includes music from 1750 to the present [sic]. Although their general approach is the same, the two authors differ in their presentation. Mellers is the more fluent, partly due to his organization which is better suited to the rather discursive style adopted throughout the book. Instead of trying to proceed strictly chronologically including each major composer and development, he sets up two large “The Sonata Principle” and “Romanticism and the 20th Century.” There are again divided into smaller units. This rather unorthodox system makes for entertaining and stimulating reading, for as we have noted above, the author can make some very thought provoking observations when he an opportunity to sit back and expand upon a point. In the first half of Man and His Music, Harman too takes the discursive approach, but since he purports to follow a chronological sequence, the result is less satisfying. In a chapter claiming to cover secular music of the late Renaissance, it is surprising to find that after careful coverage of Monte, Marenzio, and Gesualdo, the only mention of Monteverdi is a quote from the polyphonic version of “Lasciatemi morire” which did not appear in print until 1614. True, he is discussed in relation to the early opera, but the importance of the first five books of madrigals should hardly be completely overlooked. The basically conversational approach of the book may not satisfy someone who is seeking a more systematic approach to music history. It does, however, make fascinating reading.