Cambridge Companion To Brass Instruments, The

Description:
This Companion covers many diverse aspects of brass instruments and in such detail. It provides an overview of the history of brass instruments, and their technical and musical development. Although the greatest part of the volume is devoted to the western art music tradition, with chapters covering topics from the medieval to the contemporary periods, there are important contributions on the ancient world, non-western music, vernacular and popular traditions and the rise of jazz. Despite the breadth of its narrative, the book is rich in detail, with an extensive glossary and bibliography. The editors are two of the most respected names in the world of brass performance and scholarship, and the list of contributors includes the names of many of the world's most prestigious scholars and performers on brass instruments.

Review:
'The narrative is rich in detail, supported by an extensive glossary and bibliography. It is surely a book that will quickly find its way onto the bookshelves not only of the serious brass student, for whom it will become essential reading, but also of those readers with a more casual interest in the history and development of the instruments we play today.' Brass Band World 'This encyclopaedic volume is long overdue, providing some long-range retrospection now that the technical development of brass instruments is over ... this is essential reading for any serious player, conservatoire student or keen listener'. BBC Music Magazine 'This book is quite simply the most important on the subject since anthony Baines' classic Brass Instruments: their history and development appeared a generation ago ... infectious in its enthusiasm, comprehensible to a layman, and entirely absorbing.' John Humphries, Brass Bulletin

Table of Contents:
List of illustrations; Notes on the contributors; Preface; Acknowledgements; Nomenclatures; Introduction Trevor Herbert and John Wallace; 1. Lip-vibrated instruments of the ancient and non-western world Margaret Sarkissian; 2. How brass instruments work Arnold Myers; 3. Design, technology and manufacture before 1800 Robert Barclay; 4. Brass instruments in art music in the Middle Ages Keith Polk; 5. The cornett Bruce Dickey; 6. 'Sackbut': the early trombone Trevor Herbert; 7. The trumpet before 1800 Edward H. Tarr; 8. The horn in the Baroque and Classical periods Thomas Hiebert; 9. Design, technology and manufacture since 1800 Arnold Myers; 10. Keyed brass Ralph T. Dudgeon; 11. The low brass Clifford Bevan; 12. Brass in the modern orchestra Simon Wills; 13. Brass bands and other vernacular brass traditions Trevor Herbert; 14. Playing, learning and teaching brass Ralph T. Dudgeon, Phillip Eastop, Trevor Herbert and John Wallace; 15. The post-classical horn Robert Evans; 16. Jazz, improvisation and brass Roger T. Dean; 17. Brass solo and chamber music from 1800 John Wallace; 18. Frontiers or byways? Brass instruments in avant-garde music Simon Wills; Glossary; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.