In the decades leading up to the Civil War, most Americans probably encountered European classical music primarily through hymn tunes. Hymnody was the most popular and commercially successful genre of the antebellum period in the United States, and the unquenchable thirst for new tunes to sing led to a phenomenon largely forgotten today: in their search for fresh material, editors lifted hundreds of tunes from the works of major classical composers to use as settings of psalms and hymns. The few that remain popular today - millions have sung "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" to Beethoven and "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" to Mendelssohn - are vestiges of one of the most distinctive trends in antebellum music-making. Gems of Exquisite Beauty is the first in-depth study of the historical rise and fall of this adaptation practice, its artistic achievements, and its place in nineteenth-century American musical life. It traces the contributions of pioneering figures like Arthur Clifton and the impact of bestsellers like the Handel and Haydn Society Collection, which helped turn Lowell Mason into America's most influential musician. By telling the tales of these hymns and those who brought them into the world, author Peter Mercer-Taylor reveals a central part of the history of how the American public first came to meet and creatively engage with Europe's rich musical practices.

About the Author
Peter Mercer-Taylor is Professor of Musicology at the University of Minnesota. His teaching and scholarship have been divided between the nineteenth-century classical tradition--Felix Mendelssohn in particular--and contemporary popular music. Mercer-Taylor's articles have appeared in a range of journals, including 19th-Century Music, Popular Music, Musical Quarterly, The Journal of Musicology, Music & Letters, and Music Theory Spectrum.

Reviews
The text presents a lens into church hymnody that has been untapped by church music scholars in the past. This is a text to be read by students, directors, and those with a love and passion for hymnody. * Thomas L. (Tom) Baynham, Jr., Senior Pastor at Friedens United Church of Christ in St. Charles, Missouri., The Hymn A Journal of Congregational Song *
An extensive companion website offers recordings and scores for more than 260 hymn tunes, making this erudite study accessible to a wide audience. * P. D. Sanders, CHOICE *
Fascinating and beautifully written. A major achievement! * Stephen A. Crist, Emory University *
Mercer-Taylor's well-researched and erudite text is a revelation. Tracing the fascinating rise in popularity of European classical music in the US during the antebellum period, Mercer-Taylor provides a rich and informative explanation of how hymnody brought this music to a wide audience. Especially useful are the appendices and web site which tabulate the entire repertoire. Highly recommended. * Andrew Shenton, Professor of Music, Boston University *



Book Information
ISBN 9780190842796
Author Peter Mercer-Taylor
Format Hardback
Page Count 398
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 703g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 160mm * 33mm