Brian Robins is an English nonfiction author and editor.
He edited the voluminous journals of the 18th-century English amateur composer, John Marsh, for publication in 1998.[1][2] A review by the academic Nicholas Temperley in Music & Letters calls the publication a "significant event", though he doubts its claimed appeal to a wide audience; Temperley is critical of the meagre index of the 754-page work, which he describes as "seriously deficient", and calls attention to mistakes in the notes as well as deficiencies in the works list.[1] A long review by H. Diack Johnstone for the Journal of the Royal Musical Association describes the project as a "monumental achievement", and praises Robins' "industry and indefatigable concern for detail", which he compares with that of the subject; Johnstone suggests that it would have been preferable to divide the material into two or three volumes, and also points out the inadequacies of the index.[2] The edition was also reviewed in The Musical Times[3] and Early Music.[4]
Robins' monograph study of catch and glee culture in 18th-century England was published in 2006.[5][6] William Weber, in a review for Journal of British Studies, describes it as a "major contribution to a little-studied subject" that is "accessible" to the general reader; he praises the book for its "vivid picture" of the places where these forms were performed and particularly appreciates the focus on settings outside London.[5] Christina Bashford, in a review for Music & Letters, describes the book as "carefully documented", praises its "thorough, nuanced" descriptions of large numbers of groups, and highlights some "striking vignettes"; she criticises many of the chapters for failing to discuss "broader social and cultural themes and meanings".[6]
Publications
edit- Catch and Glee Culture in Eighteenth-Century England (Boydell; 2006)
Edited
- The John Marsh Journals: The Life and Times of a Gentleman Composer (1752–1828) (Pendragon Press; 1998)
References
edit- ^ a b Nicholas Temperley (1999). "Review: The John Marsh Journals: The Life and Times of a Gentleman Composer (1752-1828) by Brian Robins, John Marsh". Music & Letters. 80 (4): 628–629. JSTOR 54999.
- ^ a b H. Diack Johnstone (2000). "Review: The John Marsh Journals: The Life and Times of a Gentleman Composer (1752–1828) by Brian Robins". Journal of the Royal Musical Association. 125 (2): 306–314. JSTOR 250675.
- ^ Peter Phillips (1999). "Sizeable Symphonist. Review: The John Marsh Journals: The Life and Times of a Gentleman Composer (1752–1828) by Brian Robins, John Marsh". The Musical Times. 140 (1867): 78. JSTOR 1193908.
- ^ Rachel Cowgill (2002). "Review: The John Marsh Journals". Early Music. 30 (3): 470–471. JSTOR 519319.
- ^ a b William Weber (2009). "Review: Catch and Glee Culture in Eighteenth-Century England by Brian Robins". Journal of British Studies. 48 (1): 224–225. JSTOR 5482998.
- ^ a b Bashford, C. (1 August 2008). "Catch and Glee Culture in Eighteenth-Century England. By Brian Robins". Music & Letters. 89 (3): 411–413. doi:10.1093/ml/gcm104. JSTOR 0163002.
External links
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