Leipzig after Bach : church and concert life in a German city /

This is a comprehensive examination of the relationship between church and secular music in a Protestant city renowned for the composers in its service. Looking at the period between the death of Bach (1750) and the death of Mendelssohn (1847), Sposato (Univ. of Houston) delineates the influence of church music traditions, including choral singing, on programming at the Gewandhaus and provides lively insights into the influence of political forces on musical repertoires during a time of dynamic change. He demonstrates that the Leipzig fairs produced specific kinds of concerts, that reduced church attendance influenced repertoire, and that later musical offerings took into consideration the evolution of musical theater in Leipzig. The author also provides vivid depictions of music directors, accounts of how they were chosen, examinations of kinds of music composed, and discussion of the interrelationship between the choral and musical directors. Finally one sees how Mendelssohn came to exert sole influence over repertoire and choice of musical directors, gradually creating many of the secular and sacred traditions listeners enjoy today. The book includes footnotes with original German quotations, concert programs, contemporary reviews, and well-constructed charts categorizing musical offerings over time. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professional; general readers. --Erlis Glass Wickersham, emerita, Rosemont College