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First Published in 1994. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Groundbreaking and exciting, this first collection of lesbian and gay musicology draws strength from its diverse methodologies and influence of critical theory. The 14 essays are not about identity politics nor outing but are concerned with "representations, performances, and roles." In "Musicality, Essentialism, and the Closet," Philip Brett outlines some basic directions for lesbian and gay musicology. Elizabeth Wood's "Sapphonics," a brilliant mix of creative theorizing with careful scholarship, explores the turn-of-the-century lesbian subculture and opera singers who created strong, transgressive women characters. In a thoroughly researched study, Gary Thomas presents a preponderance of evidence supporting the belief that Handel was gay and articulates the importance of bringing such questions out of the closet. After summarizing the controversy surrounding scholarship about Schubert's same-sex erotic interest, Susan McClary demonstrates how Schubert's construction of male subjectivity in the "Unfinished" Symphony differed from that of most of his contemporaries. Lydia Hamessley shows how Henry Lawes's musical setting recasts a poem by Katherine Philips to erase lesbian sexuality and bring it into conformity with typical 17th-century views of female friendship. Joke Dame successfully moves from a theoretical discussion of voice categories, the castrato, and sexual difference to a practical discussion of casting in modern performances of baroque opera. Highly recommended for all academic and public libraries. J. M. Edwards; Macalester College