History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Calculations are only as good as your numbers
  • Pants on fire?
  • Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
  • Very Interesting
  • History as Science Fiction
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

5 out of 5 stars Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

5 out of 5 stars Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

5 out of 5 stars Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

4 out of 5 stars History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe, 1400-1600 (Norton Introduction to Music History)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Good but dated
  • Idiosyncratic, iconoclastic text is alternately brilliant and frustrating
  • A fun read
  • Wonderful book
  • Indispensable
Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe, 1400-1600 (Norton Introduction to Music History)
Allan W. Atlas
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0393971694

Book Description

The latest addition to the successful Norton Introduction to Music History series. This new book offers a comprehensive view of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century music in Europe. Through his vibrant prose and generous illustrations, Atlas transports readers into the musical world of the Renaissance.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Good but dated.......2007-01-10

Everything is fantastic, except the De Prez info is outdated because the book was published in 1998-much has been discovered.

4 out of 5 stars Idiosyncratic, iconoclastic text is alternately brilliant and frustrating.......2006-01-02

I am of two minds about Dr. Allan Atlas' iconoclastic text, "Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe, 1400-1600." On the one hand, I enjoyed Atlas' personal and eminently readable prose. He infuses the tome with witty observations, thought-provoking opinions, and offbeat vocabulary. How many textbooks have you read that use adjectives like "country-bumpkinish" or "huggable"?

On the other hand, I believe that Atlas has boxed himself into a corner with his adamant effort to avoid the "great composers" approach. As a result, his organization becomes idiosyncratic and occasionally haphazard. Atlas invariably begins focusing on a particular composer while discussing a genre, and then finds himself forced to summarize the composer's life (sometimes as an afterthought). He interrupts the text proper with historical interludes (Intermedios) and chapters on translation, but their presence can be distracting rather than illuminating. Just as he seems ready to make a relevant point or observation, he switches subjects or just stops altogether (the analysis of Dufay's belongings at the time of his death is one example).

This textbook almost requires the purchase of the companion anthology, "Anthology of Renaissance Music (Norton Introduction to Music History)." Atlas frequently cites works presented in the anthology; without it, the reader may become lost. When Atlas does present a score in the text rather than the anthology, he usually presents only excerpts (as he does with Josquin's "Nymphes des bois" or Willaert's "Aspro core e selvaggio e cruda voglia"). This can make it difficult to follow the score while listening to the music, unless the reader has impeccable timing.

Finally, Atlas' presentation of instrumental music suffers in comparison to his comprehensive discussion of vocal works. He almost completely ignores lute music, admitting he discusses it "only in passing" at one point - even though other scholars estimate that lute music accounted for a majority of 16th century instrumental scores.

Despite these considerable complaints, "Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe" is a worthwhile and much-needed addition to the Renaissance music literature. An astute professor (like the one I had for a recent course in "Music of the Renaissance") should be able to cherry-pick Atlas' text for the highlights and take advantage of this sporadically brilliant volume.

5 out of 5 stars A fun read.......2005-08-13

Atlas's book on Renaissance music is a joy to read. It is full of information, but there are the ocassional witty remarks, which helps lighten the tone.

His analysis of pieces is helpful and fascinating, but he also makes sure all of this detail is contextualized in the major changes in Western Europe during the time (the rise of humanism, other arts, changes in politics, the Reformation). It presents a great general history.

Always the historian, Atlas applies historiographical methods to show too how our conceptions of the music and the Renaissance as a whole has changed over time. He also develops how frame of reference can affect the way one interprets the music and the history (for example when talking about Spain, he points to how the music of 1492 was celebratory, but hid a sort of nasty events of Jews and Muslims expulsion and the Inquisition).

If you love Renaissance Music or you want to learn about it, then read this book.

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful book.......2001-10-16

This book, in a nutshell, is amazing. Atlas doesn't shy away from using sometimes-familiar language, empathizing with the reader and clearly explaining all major topics. It is very detailed but well-organized, and the musical examples are beautifully chosen. Additionally, the book is aesthetically pleasure -- it has lots of nice illustrations.

The anthology, which is sold as a separate book, is almost a must-have, since Atlas discusses most if not all works contained with it. (Also, it's a well-chosen anthology, and worth adding to your library.)

Therefore, if you like Renaissance music and want to learn more, or if you know a little about it and enjoy reading academic textbooks, this is the book for you.

5 out of 5 stars Indispensable.......2000-08-14

This book is indispensable for every one, student or amateur, interested in Renaissance music. Clear and understable, with many examples (in this book and in the anthology companion), Pr. Allan W. Atlas book presents music in the historical, geographical, political and artistic context which produced it. In addition to excellent presentation of composers, musical forms (mass, motet, chanson, instrumental music) and many works, pedagogical exercices are real introductions to research : how to edit a Busnoys chanson, how to understand payrolls. Moreover, Pr Atlas asks readers about the opportunity of adding a sharp, understanding contemporary earwitness texts. The epilogue is about what is generally the introduction : is there any unity in what musicologists call Renaissance music (1400-1600)?
History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Check and see
  • Suprise! Suprise!
  • Prescient St Augustine?
  • Something of a disappointment
  • Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..
History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the “Antiquity” and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by “Pope Gregory Hildebrand” was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

5 out of 5 stars Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

5 out of 5 stars Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."





4 out of 5 stars Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

5 out of 5 stars Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30


If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.
With Voice and Pen: Coming to Know Medieval Song and How It Was Made Includes CD
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    With Voice and Pen: Coming to Know Medieval Song and How It Was Made Includes CD
    Leo Treitler
    Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    VoiceVoice | Instruments & Performers | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0198166443

    Book Description

    Fully revised and updated, Leo Treitler's seventeen classic essays trace the creation and spread of song (cantus), sacred and secular, through oral tradition and writing, in the European Middle Ages. The author examines songs in particular - their design, their qualities and character, their expressive meanings, and their adaptation to their communal and ritual roles - and explores the chances for, and the obstacles to, our understanding of traditions that were alive a thousand years ago. Ranging from c. 900 (when the written transmission of medieval songs began) to 1200, Treitler shows how the earlier, purely oral traditions can be examined only through the lens of what has been captured in writing, and focuses on the invention and uses of writing systems for representing these oral traditions. Each of these seminally influential essays has been revised to take account of recent developments, and is prefaced with a new introduction to highlight the historical issues. The accompanying CD contains performances of much of the music discussed.
    Science, Optics and Music in Medieval and Early Modern Thought
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      Science, Optics and Music in Medieval and Early Modern Thought
      A. C. Crombie
      Manufacturer: Hambledon & London
      ProductGroup: Book
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      1. Science, Art and Nature in Medieval and Modern Thought Science, Art and Nature in Medieval and Modern Thought

      ASIN: 0907628796

      Book Description

      A.C. Crombie is one of the best known writers on the history of Science. Science, Optics and Music in Medieval and Early Modern Thought brings together a coherent body of essays that complement his books and are of independent value. A.C. Crombie traces general themes in the development of Science: the Aristotelian inheritance and the importance of the search for logical explanation in the middle ages; the ambitions and limitations of experiment and quantification; changing attitudes to scientific progress; the relations between Science and the Arts, and between Mathematics, Music and Medical Science; and the study of the senses. In particular he shows how the mechanistic hypothesis stimulated the experimental and philosophical study of vision.
      The Medici Wedding of 1589: Florentine Festival as Theatrum Mundi
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        The Medici Wedding of 1589: Florentine Festival as Theatrum Mundi
        James M. Saslow
        Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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        Binding: Hardcover

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        ASIN: 0300064470

        Book Description

        The marriage of Grand Duke Ferdinando de` Medici to French princess Christine of Lorraine in 1589 became a landmark event in Renaissance art, theatre, and politics. This book combines art and social history to present the first comprehensive reconstruction of this month-long wedding celebration, providing a fascinating picture of Florentine culture at its zenith.
        Shaping a Monastic Identity: Liturgy and History at the Imperial Abbey of Farfa, 1000-1125
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          Shaping a Monastic Identity: Liturgy and History at the Imperial Abbey of Farfa, 1000-1125
          Susan Boynton
          Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
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          Binding: Hardcover

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          1. From Dead of Night to End of Day: The Medieval Customs of Cluny (Disciplina Monastica) From Dead of Night to End of Day: The Medieval Customs of Cluny (Disciplina Monastica)
          2. Wandering Monks, Virgins, And Pilgrims: Ascetic Travel In The Mediterranean World, A.D. 300-800 Wandering Monks, Virgins, And Pilgrims: Ascetic Travel In The Mediterranean World, A.D. 300-800

          ASIN: 0801443814

          Book Description

          During the eleventh and early twelfth centuries, the imperial abbey of Farfa was one of the most powerful institutions on the Italian peninsula. In this period many of the lands of central Italy fell under its sway, and it enjoyed the protection of the emperor until the 1120s, when it passed gradually into the control of the papacy. At the same time, the monastery was an influential religious center, and the monks of Farfa filled their days with the celebration of the liturgy through prayers, processions, sermons, chants, and hymns.

          Susan Boynton, a historian of medieval music, addresses several of the major themes of present-day medieval historiography through a close study of the liturgical practices of the abbey of Farfa. Boynton's findings are a striking demonstration of the local nature of liturgical practices in the centuries before church ritual was controlled and codified by the papacy. Boynton shows that the liturgy was highly flexible, continually adapting to the monastery's changing circumstances. The monks regularly modified traditional forms to reflect new realities, often in the service of Farfa's power and prestige. Equally fascinating is Boynton's examination of the process by which Farfa, like other monasteries, cathedral chapters, and royal houses, constantly rewrote its history—particularly the stories of its founding—as part of the continuous negotiation of power that was central to medieval politics and culture.
          Courtly Love Songs of Medieval France (Oxford Monographs on Music)
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            Courtly Love Songs of Medieval France (Oxford Monographs on Music)
            Mary O'Neill
            Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover

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            ASIN: 0198165471

            Book Description

            This book is the first full-length study of the courtly love songs of the trouvere to address the central musical problems of the repertoire as a whole, embracing source studies, interpretation, historiography, and analysis. The argument of the book revolves around three axes, each of which is essential to the appreciation of the others: problems concerning the extant manuscript tradition; the crucial role of orality; and stylistic changes and plurality in the reperotire. For the first time, a full overview of the sources and notation is undertaken. This reveals the idiosyncrasies of individual manuscripts but, more importantly, it identifies two basic phases in the manuscript tradition. The study of melodic variants reveals the performance art that lies at the heart of the courtly grand chant; processes and techniques of variation are examined, bringing us to a closer understanding of the tenets of the melodic art of the early trouveres. A close study of select trouveres from the different generation reveals stylstic change and plurality, particularly in the melodic art which in some respects was less prescribed than the poetic texts. Consequently the courtly songs of the trouveres truly come alive in this book.
            The Troubadours: An Introduction
            Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
            • Rebuttal to Previous Review
            • A Compelling, Romantic Topic Sterilized by "Scholars"
            The Troubadours: An Introduction

            Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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            Binding: Paperback

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            1. A Handbook of the Troubadours (Publications of the Ucla Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 26) A Handbook of the Troubadours (Publications of the Ucla Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 26)
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            3. The World of the Troubadours: Medieval Occitan Society, c.1100c.1300 The World of the Troubadours: Medieval Occitan Society, c.1100c.1300
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            5. Lark in the Morning: The Verses of the Troubadours, a Bilingual Edition Lark in the Morning: The Verses of the Troubadours, a Bilingual Edition

            ASIN: 0521574730

            Book Description

            This book offers a general introduction to the world of the troubadours. Its sixteen chapters, newly commissioned from leading scholars in Britain, the United States, France, Italy and Spain, trace the development of troubadour song (including music), engage with the main trends in troubadour scholarship, and examine the reception of troubadour poetry in manuscripts and in Northern French romance. A series of appendices offer an invaluable guide to more than fifty troubadours, to technical vocabulary, to research tools and to surviving manuscripts.

            Customer Reviews:

            5 out of 5 stars Rebuttal to Previous Review.......2005-12-23

            I am a student of one of the contributors to this volume, and work indirectly with a few others. I must offer some response to the previous review before too many would-be readers are needlessly turned away from a very useful book.

            I agree with the previous reviewer on one point only, that this book should not be called an "Introduction." For the newcomer to Troubadour lyric, I recommend one of the many anthologies with facing-page translation. The brand new "Lark in the Morning: The Verses of the Troubadours, a Bilingual Edition" by Kehew is quite nice. Ezra Pound wrote some excellent essays on the Troubadours in this "Literary Essays." And if you REALLY want to dive in, try William Paden's "Introduction to Old Occitan," and learn to read the Troubadours in the original.

            As to the present volume. The previous review hammers to death the point that the academic English of this book is too recondite. I disagree. The writing style of these essays, though academic, is still accessible to anyone who has already had some experience with the Troubadours. After all, every profession has its own dialect that takes getting used to.

            Far from "sterilizing" the topic, these essays give a sample of the very latest ideas about the Troubadours. No, it is not a good introduction for the first-time reader of the Troubadours. But it is a wonderful introduction for an already interested reader who wants to cut deeper into the subject. The table of contents reads like a who's who of the best contemporary thinkers on Provencal poetry. Their work is the product of decades of careful research, is always valuable, and often poignant.

            These scholars aren't trying to hide information from anybody. On the contrary, these essays open the door to a deeper level of interpretation for those who wish to see below the surface. As to the surface, as I have said, true introductions are readily available.

            I don't recommend you pick up this book before you read (and thereby see if you even like) the Troubadours themselves. Nor do I recommend you open to page one and "slog through" to the bitter end. Instead, scan the titles of the essays and read the ones which deal with questions you've encountered in your readings as they arise. These essays are short, so read slowly and carefully. And trust that these authors, who are as "consummately human" as the Troubadours themselves, have spent as much time in their lives reading the lyrics as the Troubadours spent writing them. They know what they're talking about.

            2 out of 5 stars A Compelling, Romantic Topic Sterilized by "Scholars".......2003-10-08

            This book is blatantly misnamed. It is not an "introduction" to the troubadours, at least not according to MY understanding of that word. It is a collection of 16 essays written by "scholars." Although the first two or three essayists do a reasonable, if sterile, job of grounding us in the times and places of the troubadours - the courtly poets and singers of the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries, nearly every subsequent essay is a pedantic, sesquipedalian harangue, each one seeming to focus on a more arcane and esoteric substratum of troubadour minutiae than its predecessor. At times, the language employed by a few of the essayists is completely over the top, even by scholarly standards. One could easily get the impression while trying to plow through several exasperating chapters, that the last thing their authors would ever deign to give us - mere lay readers after all - is a simple, reasonably compelling word picture of the human beings who inhabited the courts and wrote and sang and preserved troubadour poetry. (Now that we're dreaming, some more descriptions of those courts would surely have been interesting and improved our knowledge of the places where courtly poetry was a form of social currency. And how about sharing a few more stories of the troubadours themselves and the ladies to whom they sang, and their contemporaries whom they debated and befriended, and what they wore and what they ate and if anyone has ever tried to record the imperfectly preserved melodies in the manuscripts on modern recording equipment...) Not only is so much missing which could warm us up to the whole notion of courtly love poetry and its cousins, the debate poems, bragging poems and humorous poems, much of the book's information is for all intents and purposes, HIDDEN, yes hidden behind a form of English spoken literally nowhere on earth except the musty halls of academia... places where "experts" akin to our authors spend their days thinking up new ways to keep their knowledge to themselves. One is reminded of the days when the Bible was available only in Latin, and hence, only priests and their ilk were in sole control of what information they chose to dipense or not to dispense. A few of these essayists are such poor lay communicators that it wouldn't surprise me if their secret wish is to take this information to their graves with them. Note the following, one of my favorites: "For her the ludic is an escape from the self-satisfied 'seriousness of meaning' (with its implications of univocal truth) that, according to Irigaray, characterises the masculine imaginary. By exceeding the limits of that culturally constructed and imposed imaginary, she seeks to accomplish her ludic goal of discovering a possible place for the female imaginary, a space where she can undertake her own language work." Remember folks, we're reading this book because we want to be introduced to the lives and times of court poets, musicians and singers. In case you're wondering...yes, I finished the book. I slogged through every last page. I have a personal agreement with myself not to let books like this, and the people responsible for them, get the better of me. In the end, I understood all of it, at least that portion which was understandable. And yes, when all is said and done, there is much here to learn and know... a huge amount even. But an introduction it's not, and the fact that we are deprived of a layman's foundation before being placed on a mental ski-lift to Mount Everest left me feeling bamboozled, and deflated at the prospect of another sterile "scholarly" read. So, readers beware!... the poetry, melodies and legacy of the troubadours is such a beautiful, romantic, and consummately human topic, that you might want to seriously consider bypassing this book's trip to the academic embalming table, and seek information elsewhere.
            Performing Piety: Musical Culture in Medieval English Nunneries (The New Middle Ages)
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              Performing Piety: Musical Culture in Medieval English Nunneries (The New Middle Ages)
              Anne Bagnall Yardley
              Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

              ChristianChristian | Religious & Sacred Music | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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              ASIN: 1403962995
              Release Date: 2006-04-27

              Book Description

              What did nuns sing? How did they learn about music? How did the music affect their piety? This book answers these and many other questions about the musical life in English nunneries in the later Middle Ages. Drawing upon a wide range of historical sources, Yardley pieces together a mosaic of nunnery musical life. Formal monastic rules, medieval liturgical manuscripts, records from bishops' visitations to nunneries and other medieval documents provide evidence that even the smallest convents sang the monastic offices on a daily basis and that many of the larger houses celebrated the late medieval liturgy in all of its complexity.

              Books:

              1. History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
              2. History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
              3. History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
              4. History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
              5. History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
              6. History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
              7. Home for the Holidays: Delicious Recipes from Master Chefs That You Can Make Right at Home with CD (Audio) (Great Taste)
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