Edward Holmes (1797 – 28 August 1859) was an English

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...

music critic '' The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mu ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

, and

music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do original ...

. Born just outside London, he was a pupil of

Vincent Novello Vincent Novello (6 September 17819 August 1861), was an English musician and music publisher born in London. He was a chorister and organist, but he is best known for bringing to England many works now considered standards, and with his son he cr ...

. He spent his early career earning a living as a piano teacher. In 1827 he visited Germany, and upon returning to England published his first book, ''A Ramble among the Musicians of Germany'' (1828; 3d ed., 1838). Impressed with his skills as a writer on music, the owner of ''The Atlas'' hired him as a

where he remained for many years. In 1849 he immigrated to the United States where he spent the last ten years of his life working as an editor and music critic. He also contributed articles to several music journals during his career, including ''

The Musical Times ''The Musical Times'' is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom and currently the oldest such journal still being published in the country. It was originally created by Joseph Mainzer in 1842 as ''Mainzer ...

''. His other works include ''The Life of Mozart'' (1845), ''Life of Purcell'', for Novello's ''Sacred Music'', and ''Analytical and Thematic Index of Mozart's Piano-works''.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, Edward (musicologist) 1797 births 1859 deaths English music critics English musicologists 19th-century musicologists