https://dx.doi.org/10.34051/j/2026.67">
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Keywords

Richard Taruskin, The Oxford History of Western Music, The Oxford History of Western Music (college edition textbook), pedagogy, historiography, musical literacy, biography, narrative

Abstract

This reminiscence recounts my experience transforming Richard Taruskin’s six-volume The Oxford History of Western Music into a single-volume textbook. At Taruskin’s suggestion, I was approached in 2005 by Oxford University Press to see if I was interested in taking on the daunting task of drastically abridging, extensively reshaping, and judiciously augmenting his monumental history. I did so with practical considerations in mind: limitations on space, concrete pedagogical aims, and sharing his desire to tell a compelling story. I worked with editors of the accompanying anthologies and recordings to decide which compositions should receive particular attention and emphasis. In this article, I recount the process of writing the textbook, from Oxford’s initial commission through its appearance in 2012. I include email correspondence with Taruskin about the project and his reactions along the way.

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