Dies Irae, Dies Illa: Music in the Apocalyptic Mode
Edited by Lorenzo DiTommaso and Colin McAllister
Brill, forthcoming 2021
This volume explores music “in the apocalyptic mode,” from the late Middle Ages to the present day, with a strong emphasis on the interplay between music and text. Although studies on specific apocalyptic musical works are not unknown, dedicated volumes on the subject are rare, and inevitably focus narrowly on contemporary popular music. None, to our knowledge, examines the often profound dialogue between the musical and lyrical elements of a work.
Our volume seeks to address these oversights. It features fifteen original papers that investigate the major expressions of apocalyptic words and music from the historical, thematic, musicological, and performative standpoints. Our volume will not (and cannot) be exhaustive – it is not an encyclopedia. But an international group of superb contributors will cover the topic coherently and in full dialogue with current research and methodologies. The result is a volume that will serve as a go-to textbook for university courses, an authoritative resource for scholars, and the starting point for future research.