''Music Survey'' was a short-lived
academic journal
An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and d ...
covering
classical and
contemporary music
Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included serial ...
, which flourished in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
for a brief period after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Though it was published for only five years and in that time had only a small circulation,
it had a remarkable impact on British musical and musicological life in the 1950s, and was instrumental in providing a home for the time's pro-
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
and pro-
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...
writing, as well as launching the critical and editorial careers of
Donald Mitchell and
Hans Keller
Hans (Heinrich) Keller (11 March 19196 November 1985) was an Austrian-born British musician and writer, who made significant contributions to musicology and music criticism, as well as being a commentator on such disparate fields as psychoana ...
.
The journal was established in 1947, while Mitchell was a teacher at Oakfield School, Dulwich, South London, by the headmaster W.W. (David) Livingston. Keller joined him as co-editor in 1949, when the journal was re-launched in the form of the so-called 'New Series'. Several articles were written by prominent composers such as
Luigi Dallapiccola
Luigi Dallapiccola (February 3, 1904 – February 19, 1975) was an Italian composer known for his lyrical twelve-tone compositions.
Biography
Dallapiccola was born in Pisino d'Istria (at the time part of Austria-Hungary, current Pazin, Croa ...
,
Mátyás Seiber
Mátyás György Seiber (; 4 May 190524 September 1960) was a Hungarian-born British composer who lived and worked in the United Kingdom from 1935 onwards. His work linked many diverse musical influences, from the Hungarian tradition of Bartó ...
, and
Robert Simpson.
''Music Survey'' ceased publication in 1952; in 1981 a single-volume reprint of the 'New Series' was produced.
Bibliography
* ''Music Survey: New Series, 1949-52''. Collected reprint (1 volume; Faber and Faber, London) 1981.
References
{{Reflist
Music journals
Publications established in 1947
Publications disestablished in 1952
English-language journals
1947 establishments in the United Kingdom