Ancient Forms to Polyphony

The '1066' of our music lies somewhere in the Middle Ages, when the Western tradition seems to spring, fully armed with tonality, harmony and rhythm, from the head of medieval man. It is easy to forget that musical languages had been evolving, in both the East and the West, for at least 5000 years before music in Europe began to assume the laws we are tempted to regard as perfect and unalterable. This first volume in the Pelican History of Music traces the story of music from the earliest known forms as far as the beginnings of the polyphonic period in the first half of the 15th century. A full section on non-Western music indicates how our tradition is linked with or has evolved from the forms of music prevailing in other parts of the world.