This book provides a collection of some 400 passages on music from early Christian literature - New Testament to c. 450 AD - newly translated from the original Greek, Latin, and Syriac. As there are no musical sources of the period, music historians must rely upon remarks about music in literary sources to gain some knowledge of early Christian liturgical music. This volume makes a large and representative collection of the material conveniently available. The passages are arranged chronologically and regionally in eleven chapters with brief commentary. An introduction sets out the major subjects and themes of the original source material.
Edited by:
James W. McKinnon
Series edited by:
John Stevens,
Peter le Huray
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 230mm,
Width: 153mm,
Spine: 17mm
Weight: 325g
ISBN: 9780521376242
ISBN 10: 0521376246
Series: Cambridge Readings in the Literature of Music
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 06 November 1989
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface; Introduction; 1. The New Testament; 2. The Christian literature of the first and second centuries; 3. The Greek authors of the third century; 4. The western authors of the third and early fourth centuries; 5. Fourth-century Alexandria and desert monasticism; 6. Fourth-century Asia Minor: the Cappadocians; 7. Palestine, Antioch and Syria; 8. The Greek historians; 9. The Apostolic Constitutions, Egeria, and the eastern councils; 10. Western authors of the fourth and early fifth centuries; 11. Augustine and minor western authors; Epilogue; Bibliography; Index of musical and liturgical terms and concepts.
Reviews for Music in Early Christian Literature
'This is a book to be grateful for, since the extracts are intelligently selected and helpfully commented on, while the new translations are as lucid as may be expected with such opaque writings.' The Times Literary Supplement 'Professor McKinnon's book is a major landmark.' Music and Musicians 'James McKinnon's book is a valuable secondary source, and it deserves to be read by all who have a serious interest in early Christian music and liturgy.' Music and Letters
