Edited version of the 1837 journal of American musician Lowell Mason
written while traveling through Europe.
By the middle of the nineteenth century Lowell Mason (1792-1872) was
probably the most famous native-born musician in America. Concentrating
almost exclusively on vocal music, he built a spectacular reputation as
a choir directorand teacher. He published many collections of sacred
music that sold in unprecedented numbers and made him a household
name.
In 1837 he traveled to Europe on a little-publicized trip. This was a
bold move decades before such trips by American musicians became
commonplace, and his diaries from this time are a primary source of
information on early nineteenth-century European music. This edition of
Mason's 1837 journal has been carefully edited: throughout, Broyles has
attempted to reproduce the original manuscript faithfully, making
adjustments only where necessary for intelligibility. Appendices include
a list names with brief biographies, an itinerary of the tour, and those
letters received during the trip that still survive. An introduction
completes this unique and highly readable volume.
Michael Broyles is Distinguished Professor of Music and Professor of
American History Emeritus at PennState University and Visiting Professor
at Florida State University.