Professionally speaking

Musical Times, Summer 2002 by Palmer, Fiona

Samuel Wesley: a source book Michael Kassler & Philip Olleson Ashgate (Aldershot, 2001); xxiii, 765pp; L65. ISBN 1 85928 357 8. The letters of Samuel Wesley: professional and social correspondence, 1797-1837 Philip Olleson Oxford UP (New York & Oxford, 2001); lxiii, 516pp; L75. ISBN 0 19 816423 8. The careers of British musicians 1750-1850: a profession of artisans Deborah Rohr Cambridge UP (Cambridge, 2001); xi, 233pp; L65. ISBN 0 521 58095 1.

FIONA PALMER welcomes three contributions essential to our understanding of 18th- and 19th-century British muscical life

A trivial and degrading business to any man of spirit.

[Samuel Wesley's description of the music profession in April 1806]

THESE THREE BOOKS, all of which shed light on the music profession in Britain during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, contribute significantly to a flourishing area of research. The portfolios of Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Ashgate are well-endowed in this field and, in the case of the latter publisher in particular, continue to swell at a particularly impressive rate. Deborah Rohr's book, The careers of British musicians 1750-1850, represents the refinement of her PhD thesis (1983), which has long been consulted by anyone interested in the collective fortunes of those who sought to make a living out of music in Britain in that period. Samuel Wesley's life (1766-1837) fits neatly within the parameters of Rohr's study

The two substantial volumes devoted to Wesley, with which we are concerned here, share a common purpose. Essentially, they collate and elucidate the considerable sources relating to this quirky, colourful and highly talented individual into much-needed tools for researchers. Between them they represent the painstaking groundwork undertaken by Philip Olleson and Michael Kassler. Kassler's Aspects of the English Bach awakening, to include information relating to Wesley's activities concerning JS Bach, is to be published by Ashgate later this year. A critical biography of Wesley and an edition of his personal, rather than professional, correspondence are planned by Olleson.

The Source book's ambitious remit includes the dating and summarising of more than 1100 letters and documents (many of which have not previously been published); a chronology of Wesley's life; a descriptive list of nearly 550 musical and literary works; and a discography, iconography and bibliography Additionally, an indispensable family tree is supplied (the Wesley's are confusing to the layman not least because of their repetition of Christian names down the generations), as well as lists of homes and addresses (with dates) and samples of his handwriting and notation. The dust jacket gloss proclaims that this is `the most comprehensive available reference source for Wesley's life, times and music'. Inside, although no artificial claims are made for the comprehensiveness of the contents (the authors request any additional information to be made known to them), the scope of the sources employed is impressive.

The Source book is divided into seven sections: family and addresses; chronology; calendar of correspondence; musical works; literary works; iconography1 and verbal portraits; and bibliography - divided into a discussion of the known content of Wesley's library and a chronological list of publications about him. It is not just the bibliography that is subdivided - the section on Wesley's music moves from an introduction (in which the size of the output and its general lack of publication is clarified) to details of the provenance of the manuscript sources. The ensuing catalogue (sensibly edited) follows six categories: sacred vocal, secular vocal, orchestral, chamber, organ, and harpsichord and piano music. Location, dating, publication and, where appropriate, recording history, are indicated. Here, for the first time, we can appreciate the full extent of Samuel Wesley's oeuvre and the catalogue provides an indispensable springboard for further research.

I have spent some considerable time over the last few months making use of this book. It is not designed to be digested as a continuous read. It is of considerable value as a reference book - to be consulted for specific information on the general content, hierarchy and location of sources. Clarity and logic ooze from its pages. The authors take great pains to explain their reasons for ascribing dates to letters. Their approach is sensible, reliable and accessible. The potential minefield facing anyone drawing up lists of abbreviations and symbols in a calendar of correspondence is navigated with assurance. Although not easy on the eye, the system adopted makes sense once it becomes familiar. I would counsel users to read the introductory narratives thoroughly - only after an annoying time spent trying to deduce the meaning of the 'O' which appears after many of the letters in the Calendar did I discover that it indicates a full rendering in the volume of Professional correspondence (reviewed below).