Brian Robins

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Brian Robins is an English nonfiction author and editor.

Contents

He edited the voluminous journals of the 18th-century English amateur composer, John Marsh, for publication in 1998. [1] [2] A review by the academic Nicholas Temperley in Music & Letters calls the publication a "significant event", though he doubts its claimed appeal to a wide audience; Temperley is critical of the meagre index of the 754-page work, which he describes as "seriously deficient", and calls attention to mistakes in the notes as well as deficiencies in the works list. [1] A long review by H. Diack Johnstone for the Journal of the Royal Musical Association describes the project as a "monumental achievement", and praises Robins' "industry and indefatigable concern for detail", which he compares with that of the subject; Johnstone suggests that it would have been preferable to divide the material into two or three volumes, and also points out the inadequacies of the index. [2] The edition was also reviewed in The Musical Times [3] and Early Music . [4]

Robins' monograph study of catch and glee culture in 18th-century England was published in 2006. [5] [6] William Weber, in a review for Journal of British Studies , describes it as a "major contribution to a little-studied subject" that is "accessible" to the general reader; he praises the book for its "vivid picture" of the places where these forms were performed and particularly appreciates the focus on settings outside London. [5] Christina Bashford, in a review for Music & Letters , describes the book as "carefully documented", praises its "thorough, nuanced" descriptions of large numbers of groups, and highlights some "striking vignettes"; she criticises many of the chapters for failing to discuss "broader social and cultural themes and meanings". [6]

Publications

Edited

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References

  1. 1 2 Nicholas Temperley (1999). "Review: The John Marsh Journals: The Life and Times of a Gentleman Composer (1752-1828) by Brian Robins, John Marsh". Music & Letters . 80 (4): 628–629. JSTOR   54999.
  2. 1 2 H. Diack Johnstone (2000). "Review: The John Marsh Journals: The Life and Times of a Gentleman Composer (1752–1828) by Brian Robins". Journal of the Royal Musical Association . 125 (2): 306–314. JSTOR   250675.
  3. Peter Phillips (1999). "Sizeable Symphonist. Review: The John Marsh Journals: The Life and Times of a Gentleman Composer (1752–1828) by Brian Robins, John Marsh". The Musical Times . 140 (1867): 78. JSTOR   1193908.
  4. Rachel Cowgill (2002). "Review: The John Marsh Journals". Early Music . 30 (3): 470–471. JSTOR   519319.
  5. 1 2 William Weber (2009). "Review: Catch and Glee Culture in Eighteenth-Century England by Brian Robins". Journal of British Studies . 48 (1): 224–225. JSTOR   5482998.
  6. 1 2 Bashford, C. (1 August 2008). "Catch and Glee Culture in Eighteenth-Century England. By Brian Robins". Music & Letters . 89 (3): 411–413. doi:10.1093/ml/gcm104. JSTOR   0163002.