'This is absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in North Italian instrumental music of the period... There is an astonishing amount of information here, tabulated when it is helpful to do so, lots of music examples, all underlying an intelligent discussion on essential topics.' Early Music Review '...the book is to be highly recommended for anyone interested in the music and musical life of late 17th-century Italy both for its own sake and for what it can tell us about Italian sonatas and concertos, which were to be so widely exported and imitated in the 18th century.' Early Music 'In the capable hands of Gregory Barnett we are guided not only through the works themselves but through various different ways of viewing the music in the context of late seicento society... [a] well written and wide-ranging survey of mid-baroque instrumental music. ...His line of reasoning, particularly with regard to issues of genre designation, results in original and thought-provoking conclusions that may be subject to further debate, but are certainly destined not to be neglected.' Notes '... this book is the most extensive and thorough study published to date of instrumental music of Bologna and its environs during its 50-year heyday. ...it is a valuable resource for anyone involved in any way with Italian instrumental music of the 17th or early 18th centuries. Barnett has approached head-on the controversial problems having to do with this music, presenting us with a well-thought-out, thorough study that will be a seminal book in its field for years to come.' Early Music America 'This book is generously illustrated with picutres, frontispieces and, especially, musical examples, which often present quite substantial extracts from very obscure compositions. ... this study presents its often complex material clearly and succinctly; it is the product of an enormous quantity of musical, archival and analytical research, and breaks new ground. ... It ca