Thomas Mace Explained
Thomas Mace (1612 or 1613 – c. 1706) was an English lutenist, viol player, singer, composer and musical theorist of the Baroque era. His book Musick's Monument (1676) provides a valuable description of 17th century musical practice.
Biography
Born in 1612 or 1613,[1] he played the lute from c. 1621, but his teacher if any is unknown.[2] He also played the viol.[3] He was a singer,[4] termed a lay clerk, in the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge from 1635 until his death.[3]
During the 1644 Siege of York, in the English Civil War, he was present in that city,[4] where he had family.[5]
He died c. 1706.[1]
Works
In 1676 he published Musick's Monument,[1] for about 300 subscribers.[5] The title page described it as:
Its large section on the lute contained a comprehensive lute tutorial and guide to the instrument,[5] and there was a similar, smaller section on the viol.[3] The book also contained some metaphysical speculation regarding the significance of musical ratios such as the octave.[6]
John Hawkins in A General History Of The Science and Practice Of Music (1776) commented:
References
- Book: Boyden, David Dodge . The History of Violin Playing from its Origins to 1761 . David Dodge Boyden . 1965 . Oxford University Press . London . 978-0-19-816183-7 .
- Book: Carlton, Charles . Going to the Wars: The Experience of the British Civil Wars, 1638–1651 . 1992 . Routledge . London . 0-415-03282-2 .
- Book: Music Theory from Zarlino to Schenker: A Bibliography and Guide . Damschroder . David . Williams . David Russell . 1990 . Pendragon Press . 0-918728-99-1 .
- Book: Hawkins, John . A General History Of The Science and Practice Of Music: In Five Volumes . John Hawkins (author). 4 . 1776 . Payne . London .
- Book: Herissone, Rebecca . Music Theory in Seventeenth-Century England . 2000 . Oxford University Press . Oxford . 0-19-816700-8 .
- Book: Holman, Peter . Life After Death: The Viola Da Gamba in Britain from Purcell to Dolmetsch . Peter Holman . 2010 . Boydell & Brewer . Woodbridge . 978-1-84383-574-5 .
- Mace, Thomas. Robert Farquharson . Sharp. 35.
- Book: Spring, Matthew . The Lute In Britain: A History Of The Instrument And Its Music . 2006 . Oxford University Press . Oxford . 0-19-518838-1 .
Notes and References
- Damschroder and Williams (1990), p. 178
- Spring (2006), p. 424
- Holman (2010), pp. 67–68
- Carlton (1992), p. 162
- Spring (2006), p. 428
- Boyden (1965), p. 215