LibGuides: Music : MUS 545/685: Music of the Classical Era

Most serious research uses a mix of primary and secondary sources:

Primary sources are original documents or first-hand accounts: letters, diaries, original manuscripts, reviews from newspapers of the time, etc. Primary sources are identified by their content, regardless of whether they are available in original format, in microfilm/microfiche, in digital format, or in published format.

Advantage: they may give us an unvarnished view of people and developments, and in the case of music manuscripts or facsimiles, allow us to see how early versions of a work may have been performed.

Secondary sources comment on and interpret primary sources: biography, analysis, interpretation, history

Advantage: They can provide perspective, taking into account differing viewpoints and later scholarship.

Classical Era Timeline

General Histories

Primary Source Materials

A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing
Leopold Mozart (daddy to Amadeus!) was considered to be one of the finest teachers in Salzburg, as well as a respected performer. This work was first published in the late 1750s, and was sold out by 1764 or so, prompting a second, third, and fourth edition in his lifetime. This scholarly edition, first published in 1948, is a translation by Editha Knocker.
The Impresario's Ten Commandments: Continental Recruitment for Italian Opera in London 1763-64
Source Readings in Music History: The Classical Era (ed. Strunk)
Includes writings by
The Attentive Listener: Three Centuries of Music Criticism
A
Music in the Western World: A History in Documents (ed. Taruskin)
Classical-era writings are represented in this collection, including:

Performance Guides

18th Century Continuo Playing: A Historical Guide to the Basics by Jesper Boje Christensen
Publication Date: 2002

Music : MUS 545/685: Music of the Classical Era

Classical Era Timeline

General Histories

Primary Source Materials

Performance Guides

Modern Scholarship and Criticism