A Choice Outstanding Academic Book of 1988

More than the notation was different!

"All practising musicians with an interest in the baroque owe it to themselves to be exposed to the ideas contained in this book." —Continuo

"This is a book from an excellent musician in the early field who turns out also to be a most persistent scholar . . . " —Early Music

" . . . the book offers a vast quantity of data from a wide range of sources. . . . George Houle is to be congratulated for his honest presentation of the entire spectrum." —Music Educators Journal

The treatment of meter in performance has evolved dramatically since 1600. Here is a practical guide for the performer, with many quotations from early manuals and treatises, and abundant examples.