Thomas East and Music Publishing in Renaissance England

In the London of Shakespeare, Thomas East was the premier printer of music. As he tells the story of this influential figure in early English music publishing, Jeremy Smith also offers a portrait of a bustling and competitive industry, in which composers, patrons, publishers and tradesmen sparred for creative control and financial success.

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In the London of Shakespeare and William Byrd, Thomas East was the premier, often exclusive, printer of music. As he tells the story of this influential figure in early English music publishing, Jeremy Smith also offers a vivid overall portrait of a bustling and competitive industry, in which composers, patrons, publishers, and tradesmen sparred for creative control and financial success. It provides a truly comprehensive study of music publishing and a new way of understanding the place of musical culture in Elizabethan times. In addition, Smith has compiled the first complete chronology of East's music prints, based on both bibliographical and paper-based evidence.