The life and career of George Frideric Handel, one of the most frequently performed composers from the Baroque period, are copiously and intricately documented through a huge variety of contemporary sources. This multi-volume major publication is the most up-to-date and comprehensive collection of...

A sympathetic but clear-eyed exploration of Paul McCartney's work in the 1990s, arguably his most important since the rise of the Beatles.   Paul McCartney's 1990s was an era like no other, perhaps even the most significant decade of his entire career after the...

A revelatory new account of Black innovation in American opera, showing how composers, performers, and critics redefined the genre both aesthetically and politically in the early twentieth century. The inauguration of a "golden age" in Black opera is often dated to 1955, when...

Winner, 2025 RUSA Outstanding Reference Award Bruce Songs is an authoritative guide that offers an in-depth exploration of Bruce Springsteen's musical legacy. Covering Springsteen's entire discography, from Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. to Only the Strong...

A thrilling new biography of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky--composer of some of the world's most popular orchestral and theatrical music "A lively, argumentative and thoughtful reflection on one of the 19th century's most important musical figures."--Michael O'Donnell, Wall...

Site-specific expressive ecologies sustain Korean folk culture in a globalizing world The madang is a key space and concept for Korean drummers and dancers. Literally a village circle, the madang is also a metaphor for an expressive occasion or cultural space of embodied...

We Take Care of Our Own traces the evolution of Bruce Springsteen's beliefs, beginning with his New Jersey childhood and ending with his most recent works from Springsteen on Broadway to Letter to You. The author follows the singer's life, examining his albums and a variety of...

Just Kids for the grunge era. Seattle band, The Gits and their charismatic front person Mia Zapata were on the verge of international rock stardom but on  July 7, 1993, days before their third US tour, Mia Zapata, The Gits 27-year-old singer-songwriter, was brutally assaulted and...

The emotional, epic story of James "Cornbread" Harris--a self-proclaimed "blessed dude" and one of Minneapolis's most influential musicians From the heart of the Minnesota blues comes the story of James "Cornbread" Harris Jr., the songwriter, pianist, and...

With the international rise of K-pop culture, this analysis of BTS and the languages surrounding and related to their music, fans, and media content provides a unique look into how languages are localized, hybridized, and utilized beyond popular entertainment. Drawing on a wide range of...

In twelve essays, Contemporary Opera in Flux discusses a series of shifts that, taken together, have radically redefined the production and reception of opera. Focusing on productions involving late twentieth- and twenty-first century scores and libretti, the contributors draw on...

The incredible true story of a blind musician, a brutal crime, and the making of an American folk legend In June 1936 James Lee Strother performed thirteen songs at the Virginia State Prison Farm for famed folklorist John Lomax and the Library of Congress. Rooted in...

The best-known songs in the world are violent, sexist, and religious -- so why do we celebrate national anthems when we should be rewriting them? The story begins in a London theatre in 1745, where the modern idea of anthems started out as triumphant expressions of national superiority....

Explore the philosophical wisdom of Taylor Swift and her music Taylor Swift is a "Mastermind" when it comes to relationships, songwriting, and performing sold-out stadium tours. But did you know that Taylor is also a philosophical mastermind? Taylor Swift and Philosophy is...