Some Notes on Musical Libraries, and on That of the Writer in Particular

Extract

To a Society “formed for the investigation and discussion of subjects connected with the Art, Science, and History of Music,” the subject of musical libraries cannot fail to be of interest, as neither of these branches of the study can be followed without an adequate knowledge of the work of previous investigators. The development of the art of musical notation, the rise of the art of music-printing from its rude early attempts to its present perfection, the history of the gradual development of harmony, must be of interest to every intelligent musician, and even the executant cannot fail to be interested in the life and surroundings of the composer whose works he is interpreting, and his relation to the composers who have preceded and followed him. For such studies the resources of a well - furnished library are indispensable.