Books

The Pursuit of Musick

An encyclopaedic and generously illustrated anthology of origianl written sources, The Pursuit of Musick explores some 600 years of musical activity in Europe, from the first troubadours to the emergence of the pianoforte. Through this book Andrew Parrott presents an extraordinary treasure trove of material documenting myriad ways in which our recent ancestors engaged with music. And, exceptionally, it is almost entirely through their words – their images, too – that such experiences are here vividly evoked.

The resultant book aims to lend itself equally to leisurely browsing, quick reference and close study, and to be simultaneously authoritative and approachable, allowing general readers and specialists alike to tap into invaluable seams of original source material. Arranged in three main parts (Society, Ideas, Performance), its principal chapters are supplemented by shorter ones exploring related and intriguing byways. Occasional thematic introductions (by Hugh Griffith) and four distinctive appendices contribute further to the book’s unique and characterful nature.

All bibliographical references and original-language texts can be found here.

  • One of Presto Music's Books of the Year 2023

    ‘The originality and uniqueness of this book cannot be overstated. It’s a version of musical history which we always needed but could never have imagined. ... Above all, the voice, spirit, industry and engagement of musicians (so often omitted from history in favour of didactic theorists) are always forefronted in this persuasive demonstration of how music came to be the way it is.’ Judith Weir, Master of the King’s Music

    ‘For anyone with a love of music, Andrew Parrott’s pioneering The Pursuit of Musick is bound to be a life-changing experience. His book is a model of intellectual curiosity ... drawing upon a breathtaking array of primary sources to illuminate our ancestors’ engagement with music ... We can never fully comprehend the place of music in earlier times, but Andrew Parrott’s narrative takes us as close as we are ever likely to get.’ Colin Lawson, Director, Royal College of Music

    ‘Andrew Parrott’s The Pursuit of Musick is the spectacular result of a wonderful career dedicated to enlivening our understanding and experience of “early music”. ... [Nothing comparable] has ever been attempted on quite this scale and with such flair for the multiplicity of musical experience ... and the final touch is the sumptuous visual evidence that adorns every section.’ John Butt, conductor & Professor, University of Glasgow

  • ‘A breathtaking journey through music history…the first of its kind: an open book for anyone - music lover and professional alike - who wants to find out more about music, art and social history, and who loves the idea of getting it straight from the horse’s mouth.’ — BBC Music Magazine

    ‘Magisterial…a superb achievement…I have already lost many an evening to this book, enjoying passages both familiar and lesser known.’ — Gramophone

    ‘Luscious • a mosaic of music history... I am delighted to have on my shelf’ — Early Music (Oxford University Press)

    ‘It is difficult to describe Andrew Parrott’s magnificent book … except with superlatives.’ – Royal College of Organists

    ‘Across the land, early music enthusiasts will be greeting this magnificent tome with heartfelt cries of “Where have you been all my life?” …an astonishing library of six centuries of material…a superb gallery of 560 images’ — Choir & Organ

    'a majestic work … a truly heroic feat … a completely extraordinary book … the question is whether it will ever be surpassed’. –– Journal of the Czech Musicological Society

    ‘Remarkable and beautifully produced…this magnificent publication is surely going to be an obligatory part of any music library’ — Early Music Review

    ‘This magnificent…uniquely capacious cornucopia…deserves a place in all musical educational establishments’ — Galpin Society Journal

    £35 (paperback) and £65 (hardback) - ‘which frankly seems like a bargain’ — Planet Hugill

  • The New Oxford Book of Carols

    Edited by Hugh Keyte and Andrew Parrott

    Music and texts of 201 carols for the Christmas season (many in more than one setting), each with copious notes on historical background and performance. An extensive general introduction gives an overview of the history of the carol, and there are a number of appendices dealing with specific areas of the repertory. The book's approach is an attempt to rediscover the native vitality of material that has sometimes been debased and sentimentalized, by means of ‘authentic' period settings and a concern for historically informed performance.

    ‘a wonderful fireside book to dip into at Christmas…an excellent resource which should be used widely by musicians.’ Musical Times

    ‘It would make a wonderful present…I recommend it with my own best wishes for Christmas.’ Anthony Burgess, The Observer

    ‘The New Oxford Book of Carols is the most comprehensive, scrupulously edited and informative book of its kind in the history of publishing.’ Washington Post

    ‘will be welcomed by all who are involved in planning music for services and concerts at Christmas. The wealth of background material is astonishing.’ Stephen Cleobury, King’s College, Cambridge

    ‘Carols are at the root of our musical life; this volume will be an indispensable companion for all who sing them...It will surely become a classic.’ Nicholas Kenyon, BBC Radio 3

  • The Essential Bach Choir

    Andrew Parrott

    What type of choir did Bach have in mind as he created his cantatas, Passions and Masses? How many singers were at his disposal in Leipzig, and in what ways did he deploy them in his own music?

    Seeking to understand the very medium of Bach's incomparable choral output, Andrew Parrott investigates a wide range of sources: Bach's own writings, and the scores and parts he used in performance, but also a variety of theoretical, pictorial and archival documents, together with the musical testimony of the composer's forerunners and contemporaries.

    Many of the findings shed a surprising, even disturbing, light on conventions we have long taken for granted. A whole world away from, say, the typical oratorio choir of Handel's London with which we are reasonably familiar, the essential Bach choir was in fact an expert vocal quartet (or quintet), whose members were also responsible for all solos and duets. (In a mere handful of Bach's works, this solo team was selectively supported by a second rank of singers - also one per part - whose contribution was all but optional).

    Parrott shows that this use of a one-per-part choir was mainstream practice in the Lutheran Germany of Bach's time: Bach chose to use single voices not because a larger group was unavailable, but because they were the natural vehicle of elaborate concerted music.

    As one of several valuable appendices, this book includes the text of Joshua Rifkin's explosive 1981 lecture, never before published, which first set out this line of thinking and launched a controversy that is long overdue for resolution.

  • Composers' Intentions?

    Andrew Parrott

    Essays on musical performance practice by an acknowledged expert in the field. These selected essays by conductor Andrew Parrott reflect the thinking behind some four decades of his ground-breaking performances and recordings. Bringing together seminal writings on the performance expectations of, amongst others, Monteverdi, Purcell and J. S. Bach, this volume also includes the full version of a major new article calling into question the presumed historical place of the 'countertenor' voice. Focusing primarily on vocal and choral matters, the time span is broad (some five centuries) and the essays multifarious (from extensive scholarly articles to radio broadcasts). Authoritative, provocative and readable, Parrott's writing is packed with information of value to scholars, performers, students and curious listeners alike.

    'A collection of Andrew Parrott's writings ... is bound to be something out of the ordinary, and this book does not disappoint. Its erudition, energy and thoroughness are staggering, and its vehemence in supporting important musicological theses results in a wonderful resource for anyone thinking further about its topics'. The Musical Times, Spring 2016

    'This is essential reading ... virtually anyone playing, enjoying or studying will find it invaluable.' Early Music Review, August 2015

    'this generous and impressive volume'; a 'handsome and affordable paperback edition, one which will do much to stimulate debate in early music'; 'unity of purpose and clarity of message'; 'Parrott's arguments are coolly logical'; 'Parrott's theory is uncomfortably convincing'; 'The writing is buoyant, urgent and enjoyable.' Gramophone, Awards edition 2015