The Music of Canada by Timothy J. McGee (review)

228 LETTERS IN CANADA 1986 Later in the book there are further comparisons to Picasso, whom Shadbolt and countless other North Americans in the ]940S emulated, and also to Jackson Pollock and other American abstract expressionists. This highly ambitious international situating of Shadbolt's work, with little reference to the crucial ties Shadbolt had to Canadians other than Carr, gives a distorted perspective on the artist, as does the complete absence of references to surrealism whose automatic techniques and overall liberating influenceled to Shadbolt's particular use of the masks in the first place. Nevertheless, on its own terms, and given its length, the book makes a strong statement. (LORA SENECHAL CARNEY) Timothy J. McGee. The Music of Canada W.W. Norton 1985. xii, 257. us $]9.95 The Musicofeanada is the latest in a long list of volumes devoted to various aspects of musical Canadiana and is a welcome addition to that corpus. Timothy McGee, a specialist in Medieval and Renaissance performance practice who teaches at the University of Toronto, presents a comprehensive overview of the growth and development of music in Canada from ]604 until the present in an attractive and easily readable manner. The author directs the monograph to 'all those interested in the history of music in Canada: and the book fulfils the promise of broad treatmentthat this statement implies. The author's decision to gloss technical and analytical sections while maintaining the flow of the narrative sections was a wise one, providing the general reader with sufficient information to make informed judgments while allowing the serious student of Canadian music the opportunity to delve more deeply into specific topics. The volume is divided into two main sections, the first dealing with historical matters (161 pages) and the second (64 pages) providing sixteen complete works and excerpts for analysis. This compromise results in a rather more cursory and limiting view of historical matters than is desirable . The strength of this work is as an overview of Canadian music spanning three centuries, and in this context it would appear that the anthology is unnecessary, while as a serious study of Canadian composers and composition it would seem to be superfluous, as any university or college library worthy of the name could prOvide access to a far less limiting selection of works for analysis. In addition, the criteria involved in choosing works for inclusion here could be criticized. The choices seem fairly conservative and, in some instances, not entirely representative of the composer's output. Frankly, I would suggest that the space devoted to the anthology would have been better used in amplifying parts of the text in the first section. Because of the limited space provided for the historical text, judicious HUMANITIES 229 choices of what to include (or, more important, what to exclude) had to be made by the author. His discussion of even the more important developments is, unfortunately, brief, and fails to give the reader a complete picture. Devoting three short paragraphs to Harry Freedman and even fewer to Istvan Anhalt, for instance, seems quite inadequate. He has, nevertheless, carefully documented his sources of information through the efficacious use of footnotes, providing the serious student with access to further detail. McGee's judicious use of complementary illustrations adds to the attractive format of the volume, and his care in providing significant musical examples to amplify the text serves to enliven each topic for the reader. Each of the eight chapters of the first section is usefully subdivided into several subsections, providing easy access to specific information. An excellent bibliography is provided for each chapter, and it is refreshing to observe that McGee has not only consulted the major, well-known secondary sources but has also sought out many less-known but nonetheless valuable resources. Lists of recordings and films further enhance the usefulness of the bibliography and a comprehensive index is prOvided. (R. DALE MCINfOSH) Jack Chambers. Milestones I: The Music and Times ofMiles Davis to 1960 University of Toronto Press 1983. xii, 345· $24·95 Jack Chambers. Milestones II: The Music and Times of Miles Davis since 1960 University of Toronto Press 1985. viii, 416. $24.95 Jazz trumpeter, composer, and innovator Miles...