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The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Music.

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The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Music. Edited by Tim Carter and John Butt. (Cambridge History of Music.) New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006 [xxvii, 591 p. ISBN 0-521-79273-8. $175.] References, index.

The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Music (CHSCM) is part of a new series, the Cambridge History of Music, and covers, succinctly enough, music between 1600 and 1700. Edited jointly by Tim Carter and John Butt, two of the most imaginative scholars of the period, the CHSCM consists of fourteen chapters written by twelve scholars (Carter contributes three chapters). It follows Cambridge University Press's rule that no music examples or illustrations occur within the volume. This practice is openly addressed in the Preface (pp. xviii-xix); its merits and detractions weighed and given their due, but house style remains house style. The preface is, along with the first chapter ("Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque," by Carter), a penetrating look at why we have viewed this period the way we have (reception history) and how one defines what a period is. Beginning with thoughtful comments that challenge the reader to consider what, a history should contain and questions of objective versus subjective approaches (especially in the context of previous writings on the period), the editors describe how the seventeenth century has been discussed in the past and also include comments on the influence of historical performance and the "early-music movement." The preface ends with the statement that "one could look to its plurality, unexpectedness, and dynamic...

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