Holman – författare

In recent years Purcell's biography has received a good deal of attention, but there has been little writing on his music; indeed, this book provides the first general survey since Sir Jack Westrup's 1937 volume in the Master Musicians series. Furthermore, it is the first book to explore in detail the historical context of Purcell's music, dealing fully with the institutions he worked for, the origin and development of the various genres to which he contributed, and the sources of his music. In the process, a new picture of Purcell's creative personality emerges: a composer obsessed with formal counterpoint, extraordinarily well-versed in English music of the previous century, yet eager to embrace up-to-date features of the Italian style in the 1680s.

The royal string band at the English Court had its origins in a six-man consort from Italy, brought to England by Henry VIII in the spring of 1540. Peter Holman's book charts the history of this institution from its beginnings to the time of Purcell. He considers the previous history of instrumentalists at court, the role of the court band in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and its influence on the dance music of the period. The establishment of the band at the English court is set in the context of the violin's place in Europe in the sixteenth century, as the author considers the origins of the instrument and discusses contemporary references to violin bands in court, town, and church. The development of the violin band is traced by reference to an immense amount of documentary information, much of it new. The first thorough treatment of this subject, Peter Holman's book will be welcomed for the new light it sheds on large areas of musical history.

The original hardback edition of The New Workplace examined modern business terms such as total quality management, just-in-time production, e-business, lean manufacturing and teleworking. It explored what these terms really mean and what effect they have in practice - especially their impact on productivity and performance and their social and psychological consequences. This paperback is a shorter, revised version of the original book. It will focus on working practices, especially technology orientated ones, which are the most relevant and innovative for consultants.