SALE Plague and Music in the Renaissance

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Plague, a devastating and recurring affliction throughout the Renaissance, had a major impact on European life. Not only was pestilence a biological problem, but it was also read as a symptom of spiritual degeneracy and it caused widespread social disorder. Assembling a picture of the complex and sometimes contradictory responses to plague from medical, spiritual and civic perspectives, this book uncovers the place of music - whether regarded as an indispensable medicine or a moral poison that exacerbated outbreaks - in the management of the disease. This original musicological approach further reveals how composers responded, in their works, to the discourses and practices surrounding one of the greatest medical crises in the pre-modern age. Addressing topics such as music as therapy, public rituals and performance and music in religion, the volume also provides detailed musical analysis throughout to illustrate how pestilence affected societal attitudes toward music.

• Presents an original perspective on both musical and medical history and shows how each affected the other
• The book's interdisciplinary approach will appeal both to musicologists and to scholars of the history of medicine, art history, literary studies and religious studies
• Includes detailed musical analysis to show how music and composers responded to thinking and practices surrounding pestilence