Recent decades have seen a major increase of interest in historical performance practice, but until now there has been no comprehensive reference tool available on the subject. This fully up-to-date, illuminating and accessible volume will assist readers in rediscovering and recreating as closely as possible how musical works may originally have sounded. Focusing on performance, this Encyclopedia contains entries in categories including issues of style, techniques and practices, the history and development of musical instruments, and the work of performers, scholars, theorists, composers and editors. It features contributions from more than 100 leading experts who provide a geographically varied survey of both theory and practice, as well as evaluation of and opinions on the resolution of problems in period performance. This timely and ground breaking book will be an essential resource for students, scholars, teachers, performers and audiences.

Winner, 2019 C.B. Oldman Prize, IAML (UK & Ireland)

'Lawson (Royal College of Music, UK) and Stowell (Cardiff Univ., UK) assembled a team of 112 expert contributors, most from British and American universities, and the entries are of uniformly high quality. … The encyclopedia includes many useful musical examples and illustrations, and most of the entries include a brief bibliography of suggested reading. Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.'

W. E. Grim Source: Choice

‘This Encyclopedia is an outstanding publication which makes a valuable and timely contribution to the literature. It will be of interest not only to students, scholars, teachers and performers, but also to general music-lovers with a desire to learn about the subject of historical performance. It will undoubtedly become a standard text for many years to come …’

Source: Official Citation for 2019 C.B. Oldman Award