Five Straight Lines: A History of Music

Description

Whether you prefer Baroque or pop, Theremins or violins, the music you love and listen to shapes your world. But what shaped the music? Ranging across time and space, this book takes us on a grand musical tour from music's origins in prehistory right up to the twenty-first century. Charting the leaps in technology, thought and practice that led to extraordinary revolutions of music in each age, the book takes us through medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy and Jazz era America to reveal the rich history of music we still listen to today. From Mozart to McCartney, Schubert to Schoenberg, Professor Andrew Gant brings to life the people who made the music, their techniques and instruments, as well as the places their music was played, from sombre churches to rowdy taverns, stately courts to our very own homes.

Andrew Gant is a composer, choirmaster, university teacher and writer. He lectures in music at St Peter's College, Oxford, and has directed the choirs of The Guards' Chapel, Worcester College Oxford, and Her Majesty's Chapel Royal. He is the author of O Sing unto the Lord and Christmas Carols.

'Praise for O Sing Unto the Lord 'Excellent ... This authoritative and engaging history brings ... light and warmth to the subject' - Sunday Times 'An indispensable guide to a great tradition - and a very good read.' - Catherine Bott, Presenter, Classic FM 'An illuminating and entertaining history ... without recourse to pedantry or jargon.' - Literary Review 'I would urge everybody interested in English history to buy this book at once' - Nico Muhly