Books by Derek B. Scott

Why do we feel justified in using adjectives such as romantic, erotic, heroic, melancholic, and a hundred others when speaking about music? How do we locate these meanings within particular musical styles? This title examines how conventions of representation arise and how they become established.

This work deconstructs the myth that surrounds "Victorian parlour songs". The term implies a clear-cut genre characterized by stereotyped musical and literary features. This book shows that is not the case, and that "Victorian parlour music" was a variety of musical forms and song styles.