American popular music and its business : the first four hundred years / Russell Sanjek.

Author/creator Sanjek, Russell
Format Book
Publication InfoNew York : Oxford University Press, 1988.
Description469 pages ; 24 cm
Subjects
Popular music--United States. --History and criticism.
Music--United States. --History and criticism.
Music trade--United States. --History and criticism.

Contents Prologue. Summer at Drake's bay, California, 1579 -- Part one. The beginning to 1603. Popular music in Henry's England -- Music in Elizabeth's England -- English musical theater -- The music of God's Englishmen -- The business of music publishing. The growth of the Stationers' Company ; Religious music printing ; The Byrd-Tallis and Morley monopolies -- The darling songs of the common people. The broadside-ballad business ; The first great ballad writers -- Part two. 1603 to 1710. From James to Anne -- The music of God's Englishmen. The advent and rise of the English hymn -- Britain's professional music makers. The first public concerts -- English musical theater. Popular music in the restoration theater ; The birth pangs of an English opera tradition ; Henry Purcell: Orpheus Britannicus ; The musical theater before Handel -- The business of music publishing. The golden age of balladry and the rise of the newspaper ; John Plyford, the first full-service music publisher ; Charles and the stationers ; The invention of sheet music and the fall of the house of Playford ; The new music business -- Music making in America -- The business of music publishing in the colonies -- Black music comes to English America -- Part three. 1710 to 1790. England, America, and the world -- The business of music publishing. Music publishing in England ; John Walsh and the dance-book business ; Handel and music publishers ; Opera financing in London 1720 to 1726 ; Handel and music for the Hanovers ; Resurrection of the old ballad business ; Handel's oratorios, opera for the middle class ; Copyright in the mid-century ; The oratorio triumphs ; Some mid-Gregorian music publishers and their songwriters ; Haydn and the music business ; The first Haydn concerts in London ; Haydn's last yeras ; Copyright later in the century ; The darling songs of the common people -- The days of Watts and the Wesleys. The Wesleys and their followers ; America's first great and general awakening -- The business of music publishing. The Americans learn to sing ; The singing-school movement is born ; William Billings ; Andrew Law -- English musical theater. "It made rich gay and gay rich" ; The licensing act and popular music ; David Garrick and the Royal Playhouse composers ; Enter Samuel Arnold ; Charles Dibdin, "Tyrtaeus of the British Navy," ; The new London songwriters -- America's musical theater. The Hallam companies of American comedians ; Musical theater during the Revolution ; The new musical theater ; Musical theater in federal Philadelphia ; Musical theater in federal Boston ; The circus and popular music ; The dawn of a new century -- The business of music publishing. American popular music: technology and copyright ; The state of the printers' art ; The Franklins ; John Peter Zenger, broadside ballads, and freedom of the press ; "Ingenious, public-spirited gentlemen, who have time to spare" ; The ballad writers go to war ; Thomas Paine, ballad writer ; "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne and other writers of popular music ; The printer-music publisher in federal America ; Ratifying the constitution with music ; Isaiah Thomas, full-service music publisher ; Noah Webster and American copyright -- Black music in America. Black secular music ; Black music and twentieth-century country music ; Black music and the music of a white God ; The Baptist invasion ; The new Wesleyan Methodism ; Richard Allen: Father of black hymnody.
Abstract This work tells the complete story of American popular songs, their authors, and the business they set in motion. This book explores the inception of the music publishing business in Elizabethan England and traces music activity in England until 1790, examining popular balladry, copyright problems, the start of music printing, religious music, professional music makers, musical theater, eighteenth-century music, and such leading musical figures as Purcell, Handel, and Haydn. Also discussed are the beginnings of music in the United States, including musical theater, black music, and the Great Awakening and its relationship to music publishing.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and indexes.
LCCN 87018605
ISBN0195040287 (alk. paper : v. 1)