Philips and Dering: Consort Music

David J. Smith (Editor)

Research output: Book/ReportScholarly Edition

Abstract

A scholarly edition of consort music by two Catholic composers, this volume contains an extensive introduction which includes information about the composers; an assessment of the sources; an account of centres of viol playing in 17th-C England; changing fashions in genre; new insights on mode, mensuration and barring, and temperament. The edition includes a reconstruction of a pavan by Philips, and the composition of outer parts for dances by Dering. All sources are described, and there is an extensive critical commentary. In terms of our understanding of metre, mode and tuning, the volume makes a contribution to editing practice more generally.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherStainer & Bell
Commissioning bodyRoyal Musical Association
Number of pages264
ISBN (Print)9780852499481
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2016

Publication series

NameMusica Britannica
PublisherRoyal Musical Association
Volume101

Bibliographical note

Invited volume with potential for double weighting:
1. Substantial piece of work, more than a decade in the making;
2. Involves 36 sources containing texts with multiple variants of 49 pieces;
3. First-hand study of mainly MS sources;
4. Transcription and editing of texts with intricate, extensive critical commentary;
5. Reconstruction of piece by Philips;
6. Composition of outer parts ('tune' and bass) for dances by Dering where only the inner parts have survived - this in itself could be an argument for double weighting, since there is a compositional element in the work as well as a scholarly one.
7. An original assessment of the sources of viol playing in England, and the identification of centres of playing and the contexts in which viols were used.
8. Some original work on modal classification;
9. Some original work on mensuration, metre and barring which has far-reaching consequences for how music of the period should be edited, and affected the general editorial guidelines for the series;
10. Observations on the use of accidentals which tell us something about how viols were tuned.

The following constitutes some external evidence to back up the double-weighting:

Unsolicited email from General Editor:
Dear David,
I collected my copy from college yesterday and have just spent a couple of hour perusing this very splendid volume. It's so long now since we spent time sweating over the details that I'd half forgotten just how very good it is. Having re-read as if for the first time most of the Introduction, that wonderfully detailed commentary on the sources, and done a spot check of the Textual Commentary, I am once again hugely impressed by the scholarship involved. It strikes me as a major achievement on your part, and I do congratulate you most warmly. It must be the last word in how best to deal with repertory of this sort, and I am both pleased and proud to have it in the MB series. Is there any Philips or Dering left that we haven't dealt with I wonder?! And as ever from Stainer & Bell these days, the volume itself is a beautiful piece of printing and a real pleasure to handle. I hope you are as pleased with it as I am.
With kind regards and all good wishes,
Harry

Unsolicited email from one of the moderators of the volume:
Dear David,

Just a quick note to congratulate you on MB 101 which arrived on Saturday. It was among the more complicated volumes for you to create and you have done this superbly well. The textual commentary for the 5-part Dering fantasias is remarkable! I have much enjoyed reading your valuable introduction, which covers a lot of ground.

Unsolicited email from music librarian:
Dear David,

This is a rather belated message to congratulate you on your Musica Britannica volume. It is a splendid piece of work, the introduction and critical notes all admirably clear and the music, as far as I could tell from a first play-through, well worth having resurrected. Many thanks for all your work on it!

I should confess that I absconded from the BL over a year ago to move to Cambridge, but if you ever happen to be visiting then please let me know, as it would be a pleasure to see you here.

With best wishes,

Nicolas

Keywords

  • Peter Philips
  • Richard Dering
  • Consort
  • Viol
  • English
  • Britsih music
  • Temperament
  • MODE
  • Mensuration

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