Author: MALCOLM (Alexander):
Title: A Treatise of Musick, Speculative, Practical, and Historical. Containing An Explication of the Philosophical and Rational Grounds and Principles thereof; The Nature and Office of the Scale of Musick; The whole Art of Writing Notes; And the General Rules of Composition. With A Particular Account of the Antient Musick, and a Comparison thereof with the Modern.
Description: London: Printed for J. Osborn and T. Longman..., 1730. 8vo, 10 x 116 mms., pp. xxiv, 608, 6 folding engraved plates at end, recently rebound (somewhat clumsily) in quarter navy morocco, morocco label, marbled boards; margins and edges a little browned. With the autograph "J. [?Brestland ?Bresthand Junr." on the top margin of the front free end-paper, and, in pencil, at the bottom, "Received [in] Balto Arp. 1944/ Sent by Milton Wertheimer Jr. (Corp'l)/ from England while in U. S. Army." Malcolm (1685 - 1763) was born in Edinburgh but emigrated to New York in 1734, and he died in Maryland in 1763. In his early career, he divided his time between teaching mathematics and related subjects, but it was the above book which made his reputation. Malcolm's approach is both philosophical and technical, and John Hawkins described the work as "one of the most valuable treatises on the subject of theoretical and practical music to be found in any of the modern languages." Charles Burney, in compiling The Cyclopaedia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature (1802 - 1819) with Abraham Rees, based his definitions of musical terms on those of Malcolm. This is a re-issue of the first edition, published in Edinburgh in 1721, with a cancel title-page and the dedication to the "Directors of the Royal Academy of Music" removed.

Keywords: music prose Scottish Enlightenment


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