Gustave Reese
Encyclopedia
Gustave Reese was an American
musicologist
and teacher. Reese is known mainly for his work on medieval
and Renaissance music
, particularly with his two publications Music in the Middle Ages (1940) and Music in the Renaissance (1954); these two books remain the standard reference works for these two eras, with complete and precise bibliographical material, allowing for almost every piece of music mentioned to be traced back to a primary source.
, graduating in 1921. Though he was admitted to the New York State Bar, he opted to re-enroll and pursue a bachelor's of music from NYU, which he received in 1930. In 1927, however, he was already teaching classes at the university in medieval and Renaissance music. He continued teaching there intermittently until 1974, and he became Professor Emeritus in 1973. He also served as a visiting professor at a number of universities, including Harvard
, Duke
, UCLA, USC
, Michigan
, Oxford and Juilliard School of Music. He was a founder-member of the American Musicological Society
(AMS) from 1934, serving as its first secretary (1934-1946). He became vice-president in 1946 and president of the organization in 1950. He has also held positions in the International Musicological Society(IMS), the Renaissance Society of America, and the Plainsong and Medieval Music Society.
Also active in the music publishing industry, he headed the publication department of G. Schirmer
(1940-1945) and was also director of publication at Carl Fischer (1945-1955). Furthermore, he was editor of The Musical Quarterly
from 1933 until 1945.
Gustave Reese had a profound impact on generations of music students through his passionate and insightful teaching. He has left a valuable legacy in Music in the Middle Ages and Music in the Renaissance. These two pillars have incited a revival of interest and scholarship in the areas of early music. He is often perceived to have 'raised the bar' of musicological scholarship with his thorough research, intellectual research, and comprehensive bibliographies. He commissioned other people to contribute specialist sections to these books, such as Igor Buketoff
's piece on Russian chant in Music in the Middle Ages.
Reese was married to Fine Arts administrator and cookbook author and editor, Carol Truax
, from 1974 to 1975.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musicologist
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
and teacher. Reese is known mainly for his work on medieval
Medieval music
Medieval music is Western music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century...
and Renaissance music
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
, particularly with his two publications Music in the Middle Ages (1940) and Music in the Renaissance (1954); these two books remain the standard reference works for these two eras, with complete and precise bibliographical material, allowing for almost every piece of music mentioned to be traced back to a primary source.
Life
Reese was an avid scholar and had interests in many areas outside music, including art, architecture, and literature. He is also remarkable in that he lacked formal musicological training. He studied law at New York UniversityNew York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, graduating in 1921. Though he was admitted to the New York State Bar, he opted to re-enroll and pursue a bachelor's of music from NYU, which he received in 1930. In 1927, however, he was already teaching classes at the university in medieval and Renaissance music. He continued teaching there intermittently until 1974, and he became Professor Emeritus in 1973. He also served as a visiting professor at a number of universities, including Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, UCLA, USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Oxford and Juilliard School of Music. He was a founder-member of the American Musicological Society
American Musicological Society
The American Musicological Society is a membership-based musicological organization founded in 1934 to advance scholarly research in the various fields of music as a branch of learning and scholarship; it grew out of a small contingent of the Music Teachers National Association and, more directly,...
(AMS) from 1934, serving as its first secretary (1934-1946). He became vice-president in 1946 and president of the organization in 1950. He has also held positions in the International Musicological Society(IMS), the Renaissance Society of America, and the Plainsong and Medieval Music Society.
Also active in the music publishing industry, he headed the publication department of G. Schirmer
G. Schirmer
G. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Italian Ricordi, Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello,...
(1940-1945) and was also director of publication at Carl Fischer (1945-1955). Furthermore, he was editor of The Musical Quarterly
The Musical Quarterly
The Musical Quarterly is the oldest academic journal on music in America. Originally established in 1915 by Oscar Sonneck, the journal was edited by Sonneck until his death in 1928...
from 1933 until 1945.
Gustave Reese had a profound impact on generations of music students through his passionate and insightful teaching. He has left a valuable legacy in Music in the Middle Ages and Music in the Renaissance. These two pillars have incited a revival of interest and scholarship in the areas of early music. He is often perceived to have 'raised the bar' of musicological scholarship with his thorough research, intellectual research, and comprehensive bibliographies. He commissioned other people to contribute specialist sections to these books, such as Igor Buketoff
Igor Buketoff
Igor Buketoff was an American conductor, arranger and teacher. He had a special affinity with Russian music and with Sergei Rachmaninoff in particular. He also strongly promoted British contemporary music, and new music in general.- Biography :Buketoff was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the son...
's piece on Russian chant in Music in the Middle Ages.
Reese was married to Fine Arts administrator and cookbook author and editor, Carol Truax
Carol Truax
Carol Truax was an American music administrator and an author of many cookbooks. She was noted both for her time as Executive Director of Fine Arts at Colorado College , and also as consultant in Fine Arts to the State University of New York. As author, Miss Truax’s most famous publications...
, from 1974 to 1975.
Works
- Music in the Middle Ages: With an introduction on the music of ancient times. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1940. ISBN 0-393-09750-1
- Music in the Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1954. ISBN 0-393-09530-4
- Essays in musicology in honor of Dragan Plamenac on his 70th birthday. Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press, c1969. ISBN 0-8229-1098-5
- Fourscore Classics of Music Literature. New York, Da Capo Press, 1970. ISBN 0-306-71620-8
- A compendium of musical practice. New York, Dover Publications, 1973. ISBN 0-486-20912-1
- Aspects of Medieval and Renaissance Music. New York, Pendragon Press, 1978 (c1966). ISBN 0-918728-07-X
- The New Grove High Renaissance Masters: JosquinJosquin Des PrezJosquin des Prez [Josquin Lebloitte dit Desprez] , often referred to simply as Josquin, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance...
, PalestrinaGiovanni Pierluigi da PalestrinaGiovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition...
, LassusOrlande de LassusOrlande de Lassus was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance...
, ByrdWilliam ByrdWilliam Byrd was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard and consort music.-Provenance:Knowledge of Byrd's biography expanded in the late 20th century, thanks largely...
, VictoriaTomás Luis de VictoriaTomás Luis de Victoria, sometimes Italianised as da Vittoria , was the most famous composer of the 16th century in Spain, and one of the most important composers of the Counter-Reformation, along with Giovanni da Palestrina and Orlando di Lasso. Victoria was not only a composer, but also an...
. London, Macmillan, 1984. ISBN 0-333-38237-4; New York, W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-393-01689-7