Music in Edwardian London
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McVeigh, Simon. 2024. Music in Edwardian London. Woodbridge: Boydell Press. ISBN 9781837651344 [Book]
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The dawning of a new century saw London emerge as a hub in a fast-developing global music industry, mirroring Britain's pivotal position between the continent, the Americas and the British Empire. It was a period of expansion, experiment and entrepreneurial energy. Rather than conservative and inward-looking, London was invigorated by new ideas, from pioneering musical comedy and revue to the modernist departures of Debussy and Stravinsky. Meanwhile, Elgar, Holst, Vaughan Williams, and a host of ambitious younger composers sought to reposition British music in a rapidly evolving soundscape.
Music was central to society at every level. Just as opulent theatres proliferated in the West End, concert life was revitalised by new symphony orchestras, by the Queen's Hall promenade concerts, and by Sunday concerts at the vast Albert Hall. Through innumerable band and gramophone concerts in the parks, music from Wagner to Irving Berlin became available as never before.
The book envisions a burgeoning urban culture through a series of snapshots - daily musical life in all its messy diversity. While tackling themes of cosmopolitanism and nationalism, high and low brows, centres and peripheries, it evokes contemporary voices and characterful individuals to illuminate the period. Challenging issues include the barriers faced by women and people of colour, and attitudes inhibiting the new generation of British composers - not to mention embedded imperialist ideologies reflecting London's precarious position at the centre of Empire.
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Item Type: |
Book |
| Additional Information: |
Supporting information relating to London concerts, including access to the Calendar of London Concerts 1893-1914, can be found at https://music-in-edwardian-london.com/ |
| Keywords: |
London music, Edwardian music, Victorian music, concert life, Proms, opera, musical theatre, music hall, English Musical Renaissance, Edward Elgar |
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| Date: |
May 2024 |
| Item ID: |
37916 |
| Date Deposited: |
29 Nov 2024 10:31 |
| Last Modified: |
29 Nov 2024 10:31 |
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URI: |
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