Concise Oxford History of Music

Author: Gerald Abraham
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-12-01
Features: The table of contents introduction of this book: Chapter 1 Mesopotamia and Egypt; Chapter 2 The Greek Contribution; Chapter 3 The Hellenistic and Roman World; Chapter 4 Music in the Christian World; A Concise Oxford History of Music can be seen, in a sense, as a summary of the author's lifelong exploration in musicology. Standing at the end of this "knowledge explosion" century, reflecting on Abraham's academic journey leaves one both amazed and slightly puzzled: how could he, in the face of such a vast subject as music history, both excel in uncovering intricate details while still maintaining a high-level overview of the overall picture. In the highly developed Western musicology, mere generalized "general histories" and lists are insufficient to gain a foothold in academia. Scholars with lesser talent, under academic pressure, are often forced to confine themselves to narrow domains early on, "knowing more and more about fewer and fewer things." Abraham was already renowned for his profound research on Russian music. In this regard, his musical insight, empathetic auditory sensitivity, and masterful command of the Russian language made him unparalleled in the English-speaking world. However, although Abraham was primarily an expert in 19th-century Romantic music, his writings and editorial work reveal that this tireless scholar possessed highly knowledgeable and authentic insights into various research topics, including medieval music, the Netherlandish school of the Renaissance, Handel, Mozart operas, Polish music, Sibelius, and Bartók, among others. This deep knowledge of every aspect of music history enabled Abraham to demonstrate a unique ability in A Concise Oxford History of Music: a highly integrated combination of panoramic overviews and detailed historical facts.