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Peter Williams held the first Chair in Performance Practice in a British university (Edinburgh), where he was also first Director of the Russell Collection of Harpsichords and latterly Dean of Music, and the first Arts and Sciences Distinguished Chair at Duke University, North Carolina. His books include The European Organ (1966), Bach: The Goldberg Variations (Cambridge University Press, 2001), Figured Bass Accompaniment (1970), The Organ in Western Culture, 750-1250 (Cambridge University Press, 1993), The Chromatic Fourth During Four Centuries of Music (1998) and The Organ Music of J. S. Bach (Cambridge University Press, second edition 2003).
'Peter Williams is a master of putting question marks where they belong. He is wise enough to admit that definite answers are rarely possible. Nevertheless, guided by the 1754 Obituary, he gives splendid food for thought with his penetrating insights and truly erudite suggestions.' Gustav Leonhardt Review of the hardback: '… its freshness of approach and practical knowledge of the music are enthralling.' The Herald '… it is in this combination of musicology, common-sense psychology and an almost Shakespearean sense of drama that I find Williams at his best.' Newsletter of the American Bach Society Review of the hardback: '… Williams is a writer both erudite and compelling … this is a biography unafraid to raise awkward questions and make a gallant attempt to answer them … William's study, a substantial read, fills an important place in English language Bach literature.' BBC Music Magazine Review of the hardback: 'Peter Williams' observations in this … well-written volume add an imaginative and fresh dimension that will keep the 'little grey cells' charged … [This] volume could be a useful 'precursor' and we are the beneficiaries as a result.' The Journal of the London Bach Society Review of the hardback: 'Williams's book is dense and challenging … a rewarding read, certain to enthral equally any lover of Bach's music and admirer of the techniques of forensic enquiry.' Musical Times '… a biography that inspires engagement …' Choir and Organ
