Music on the Shakespearian Stage

In this lively 1913 introduction to the field of early modern music in the theatre, Cowling explains what kinds of music were used on the Elizabethan stage, and describes where in the theatre, at which point during the plays and with which instruments and personnel, the music was performed.

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George H. Cowling (1881–1946), Lecturer in English at the University of Leeds and subsequently Professor of English at Melbourne, wrote this study as his dissertation, inspired by his own love of music. He shows what kinds of music were used on the Elizabethan stage, and explains where in the theatre, at which point during the plays and with which instruments and personnel the music was performed. He also assesses what both songs and incidental music contributed to the meaning and the performance of Shakespeare, going back to examine the roots of dramatic music in the use of religious music in the medieval Mystery plays. He offers a lively and approachable introduction to the subject that provides a way into the field of early modern music in the theatre, and a foundation for more detailed critical work.