Boydell & Brewer

Engaging and meticulous...provides a vivid picture of the changing public taste as well as a chronicle of Wood's passion for a composer whom he brought into the mainstream...what a heroic tale... — Gramophone Magazine More…

[A] treasure trove for those interested in the period. Highly recommended — Choice More…

Packed with closely researched detail, precisely and elegantly argued. It makes for compulsive and intelligent reading — BBC Music Magazine More…

An immensely stimulating and readable book, raising many interesting and ever-relevant questions concerning the nature of music biography and criticism, and how they are affected by extra-musical... — Musical Times More…

The Companion has clearly been a labour of love for all involved and it has paid off. It is elegantly laid out and illustrated with illuminating musical examples and photographic images. There... — British Music Society More…

[An] engrossing history...dubbed the 'songbird of Drury Lane', Clive performed an extraordinary range of musical styles to great acclaim...Joncus gives a fascinating account...painstakingly... — BBC Music Magazine More…

[A] thorough, extensive, and meticulous examination . . . . Readers seeking an in-depth and detailed study of a remarkable institution will not be disappointed — American Record Guide More…

John W. Barker has done a prodigious feat of reading and research. . . . Addresse[s] the array of literary myth surrounding that consummate dealer in magic and spells[, Richard Wagner]. MUSICAL... — Musical Times More…

The volume's interdisciplinary approach, contextualizing concepts of creativity across the cultural milieu of seventeenth-century England, is one of its strengths — Renaissance Quarterly More…