The Musical Life of the Crystal Palace - Softcover

Musgrave, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521616077 ISBN 13: 9780521616072

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2005

Synopsis

Though it was never designed to accommodate musical performance, the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, opened in 1854, quickly established itself as the most important single location for public music-making in the United Kingdom. For almost fifty years the orchestral concerts and choral festivals provided weekly performances which set new standards and introduced new repertory unparalleled anywhere in its time. Since its spectacular destruction by fire in 1936, the once familiar patterns of music-making have been long forgotten. This is the first book to reconstruct the musical history of the Crystal Palace. In so doing, Michael Musgrave also offers a unique survey of British musical life stretching from the Victorian period to the eve of the Second World War. Fully illustrated and with valuable catalogues of performers and repertoire, the book will be of interest to students and scholars of nineteenth- and twentieth-century music, British social history, and architecture, as well as to the general music enthusiast.

About this title

Book Description

This is the first book to reconstruct the musical history of the Crystal Palace. In doing so, Michael Musgrave also offers a unique survey of British musical life stretching from the Victorian period to the eve of the Second World War.

Review

'... highly recommended as [a] good read and [an] invaluable work of research.' BBC Music Magazine

'A whole pageant of Victorian choral and orchestral history comes alive here'. Arthur Jacobs, Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine

'This is a hugely welcome volume which plugs a large hole left by previous histories of the Palace.' Classical Music

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521616077
• ISBN 13: 9780521616072
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288