Friddle presents a history of 19th-century choral treatises and discusses the singing societies that such works supported. Sharing the joint goals of teaching music literacy and building choral ensembles, numerous treatises were written starting in the Romantic age, beginning with Michael Pfeiffer and Hans Georg Nägeli’s Vocal Training according to Pestalozzian Principles (1810) and including works by Joseph Mainzer, Andreas Rützel, John Spencer Curwen, Lowell Mason, and many others. With industrialization, workers moved from rural areas to cities where higher wages and more leisure time helped to support the development of choral societies. Participants, first men and later both men and women, joined these groups and devoted serious attention to choral singing. Starting with the first significant choral society, the Sing-Akademie in Germany, Friddle traces the propagation of such groups to other European countries. Crossing the Atlantic, Friddle discusses the freed enslaved people who founded Fisk University and formed the Fisk Jubilee Singers in the 1870s, and the 19th-century singing-school movement, which provided a strong foundation for the singing societies that followed. In the absence of recordings, these choral treatises provide some idea of how 19th-century choruses sounded, as well as inspiration for modern choral directors. Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals.

Choice Reviews

“This book has long been needed. It fills a gap in our knowledge of the development of choirs and choral singing in the nineteenth century, thereby providing useful background for more recent developments in the early twentieth century. David Friddle’s scholarship is solid, the commentary stimulating, and the result illuminating. It is a very welcome addition to the literature.”

Nick Strimple, University of Southern California

David Friddle is the sleuth that found and has assembled the numerous puzzle pieces of choral methodology. Choral Treatises & Singing Societies in the Romantic Age fills a long-standing gap. Thanks to his diligence, we can trace the invention, development, and dissemination of choral singing and singing treatises from Berlin to Oklahoma City and beyond. This comprehensive history is the first of its kind and merits our study. I urge you to look inside and discover our collective roots as choral professionals.

Jo-Michael Scheibe, University of Southern California