Introduction
Theory of Music was founded in 2007 by the composer and writer Barry Mitchell. The main purpose of Theory of Music when it was first set up was to publish resources for the study of the history and theory of music and broadly related subjects.
Latest News
4 March 2025
Theory of Music had over 1 million hits! The million plus hits have been made by over half a million visitors. Onwards to 2 million hits and a million visitors!
10 August 2022
The Henschel/Brahms project, as described below, is now complete. There are 33 posts in total. The posts are now being converted into audio for the Theory of Music podcast.
3 March 2022
Theory of Music has started to post the complete text of George Henschel’s Personal
Recollections of Johannes Brahms, with some additional material. The Recollections consist of Henschel’s notes about his meetings with Brahms, and some short letters exchanged between the two. The Recollections was first published in 1907. There will be 33 posts in total, at the rate of two per week, so the complete work should be published by the end of June 2022. Henschel’s footnotes have been incorporated into the main body of the text in italics. The original illustrations have not been reproduced because of their poor quality, though all the music examples are included.
4 August 2021
Barry Mitchell delivered the paper “Dual Tonicity in Antonio Soler’s Fandango” at the Birmingham University Music Analysis Conference, July 2021. The conference programme and the paper, which is PowerPoint presentation, can be found here:
18 June 2021
Online tuition with Theory of Music
Theory of Music provides online tuition in music theory and history. We are particularly interested in helping students with their academic work: essays, dissertations etc.
For more information contact Barry Mitchell: barry.mitchell@theoryofmusic.eu.
The tutor, Barry Mitchell, has extensive experience of teaching music to students at all levels. He has undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in music. He has taught music for the Open University and currently teaches music for Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, where his specialty is the history of opera. He is also a senior member of the examinations team for music at the International Baccalaureate Organisation, with particular responsibility for the extended essay in music (a subject he have written a guide on, available as a free download essay writing 2016 – kindle version ). He is a trustee of the Society for Music Analysis, the UK’s leading learned society for the promotion of the study of music analysis. He has contributed papers to international conferences and is the founder of Theory of Music Ltd.
18 May 2021
Theory of Music Ltd is a not for profit company and depends largely on voluntary contributions to provide the free resources available on the site. If you would like to support Theory of Music you can make a donation using Paypal. Theory of Music does not use crowdfunding sites as these usually take quite a high proportion of any donations. Your donation will be used to enable Theory of Music to produce more free or low cost resources for the study of the history and theory of music.
You can also make a Paypal donation using the link below:
https://paypal.me/theoryofmusic?locale.x=en_GB
11 May 2021
Theory of Music Ltd has started a podcast. An upcoming project is a series of podcasts based on personal recollections of Johannes Brahms by George Henschel. A series of podcasts based on the Clara Schumann- Brahms letters is also being planned.
23 October 2019
Theory of Music Ltd is prepared for BREXIT.
In preparation for BREXIT Theory of Music Ltd has now registered the domain name theoryofmusic.eu in an address in the EU. The domain name is registered at an address in Co. Donegal, Ireland.
1 October 2019
Barry Mitchell has been elected as a member of the board of trustees of The Society for Music Analysis.
Barry Mitchell was elected as a trustee of The Society for Music Analysis in July 2019. The Society for Music Analysis (SMA) is a UK-based international organisation dedicated to music theory and analysis. It operates as a charity and is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1168650). It is affiliated with the journal Music Analysis and T&AM, The European Network for Theory and Analysis of Music. It supports and organises a regular programme of events, including the annual Theory and Analysis Graduate Students (TAGS) Conference, the Music Analysis Summer School (a residential course taught by international experts), and other Music Analysis Conferences (‘MACs’) and symposia.
20 March 2019
Registration of theoryofmusic.eu domain name.
Because of BREXIT the domain name theoryofmusic.eu will have to be registered at an address in the EU, otherwise we will have to change our domain name, which we would prefer not to do. We are still searching for someone in the EU who will be happy to have the domain name registered to their address.
1 December 2018
Theory of Music Ltd has a new registered office. The new registered office is: Brynn Hedd, Morley Terrace, Radstock, Somerset, BA3 3HU, UK.
12 July 2018
Barry Mitchell presented the paper “Do the ideas in André Pogoriloffsky’s The Music of the Temporalists have any practical application?” at the conference CityMAC 2018. This conference took place at City University London, 5-7 July 2018, and was sponsored by the Society for Music Analysis and Blackwell Wiley.
2 December 2016
Theory of Music was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee on 28 June 2016. The company is registered in England and Wales and the company registration number is 10255324. The company’s articles of association can be downloaded from the link below.
theory-of-music_articles_private_ltd_by_guarantee_after28april2013
Other company documents can be found on the Company docs page on this website. The company’s first director was Barry Mitchell, who is also the company secretary. Richard Skelding joined the company as a director soon afterwards.
Theory of Music Ltd has the following object: to advance education in the subject of music and in subjects related to music.
Theory of Music Ltd has the following powers:
- to provide educational resources
- to undertake research
- to create music
- to do all such lawful things as shall further the attainment of the company’s object, whether independently or jointly with similar organisations.
Contact email: barry.mitchell@theoryofmusic.eu
5 April 2015
Theory of Music has accepted an invitation to attend the official launch of the innovative online instrument tuition website http://musicalorbit.com/ The event will take place on Monday 20th April 2015 at The Nave, 78 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AG at 5pm. The launch will be reviewed on this website.
25 March 2015
Theory of Music’s translation of Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (https://theoryofmusic.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/a-translation-of-il-combattimento-di-tancredi-e-clorinda-by-monteverdi/) used in the 2015 Kunstenfestivaldesarts.
One of Europe’s most significant arts festivals, the Kunstenfestivaldesarts, will include a talk about a performance by the theatre company Societas Raffaello Sanzio which was based on Monteverdi’s Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda. The performance was in Italian but the English documents published in connection with the talk will feature excerpts from the translation of Il Combattimento which appears on this site. For more information about the Kunstenfestivalesarts contact Daniel Blanga-Gubbay founder of the arts organisation Aleppo (www.aleppo.eu). His email address is daniel.aleppo.eu. For more information about Romeo Castellucci, founder of Societas Raffaello Sanzio see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_Castellucci#cite_note-labiennale-1
28 October 2014
Theory of Music’s translation of Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (https://theoryofmusic.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/a-translation-of-il-combattimento-di-tancredi-e-clorinda-by-monteverdi/) used in National Centre for Early Music Young Composers Award in partnership with BBC Radio 3.
10 October 2014
Theory of Music’s translation of Schubert’s Winterreise (https://theoryofmusic.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/english-translation-of-schuberts-winterreise-poems-by-w-muller/) used at 2014 Oxford Leider Festival workshop.
World renowned mezzo-soprano Sarah Walker CBE will use the translation of Winterreise from Schubert’s Wanderers at her Oxford Lieder Festival masterclass on 16 October 2014 . The venue is St. Columba’s Church, Alfred St. Oxford. See: http://www.oxfordlieder.co.uk/events/1280
Theory of Music 
I’m very much interested in old classical music because I like instrumental music, I’m just getting into music because of some I heard on Turner Classica Movie. I can only indicate to you that Morzat is an interest of my I’v listen to it before. I sorry, I can not name anything because, I not great with remembering names. It is something I have to practice. But if there is any download on some I would be quiet interest in listening to it. Also, I Love to hear any African opera, and some unknown vocalist that are still not know today. I like to compare todays music verse earlier voices of lycrics.
What a goldmine of info here, thank you very much for all the effort!
A lot to get your teeth into, but well worth it!
its good..it help with me with your articles
Excellent site.
Great blog!
I opened a blog teaching music theory. Go and check it if you want, and tell me what you think: http://beamusician.wordpress.com . Hope it helps. Thanks!
A great idea, good luck with it. I look forward to seeing how the site develops!
Thank you for such a great public service. I especially appreciate original texts/libretti with accompanying English translation. Please keep up the good work and may God bless you.
Great blog! Thank you for sharing your hard work!
I love very much your work. Always a great pleasure to read it. I manage this site of Mozart’s letters: http://letters.mozartways.com/. Maybe you’d like sometimes to dig some letter there. Congratulations!
Thanks for your comment. I’ve had a look at your Mozart letters site and it is great – keep up the good work!
Excellent site!! I had to do some research on the history of music for my class assignment but when I turned to internet all I saw was scattered information which was even poorly organized. What I really wanted was first hand information from someone who knows the field but couldn’t find a single blog dedicated to solely music at that time. You are doing a great service and I hope you’ll keep it up for the benefit of information-starved people like me
Thank you very much for your positive comments. It is a lot of work keeping up this blog, though I enjoy it, so it is good to know that it is appreciated.
pls send me music theory( all about music) I wana be a musician. this is my email gabrielogbu28@gmail.com. thanks
I really like your article in here and I’m very much interested in old classical music because I like instrumental music and mellow tune. I am enjoying reading it and we are looking forward to see more in here.
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Christmas music online
I have something to add to your blog. I published an article this year in defense of just intonation over equal temperament and also augmenting the centuries-old C256hz/A432hz proposition. My horological theory of why A=432hz really clarifies the argument and greatly settles why the standard ought to be changed. Please read the article, titled “A=432hz: On the Proper Concert Pitch and a New Standardization of Tempo,” at http://www.trueconcertpitch.com – or find it at the Amazon Kindle or iBookstore marketplaces. I have made a YouTube video presenting an augmented version of the article as well, @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBQ9XkQyXxI. There is even a Facebook page, named “A=432hz Concert Pitch.” I hope you get a lot out of my work!
Dear Mr. Mitchell
As someone who grew up with a fascination for both popular & “classical” forms of music, a site like this is of great interest. I am also a student of philosophy (specifically Ayn Rand’s Objectivism) and constantly find myself challenged by our current culture’s hostility toward both a solid appreciation of abstract music, as well as an understanding of philosophy (upon which any true aesthetic appreciation must be based). Having a personal tendency to eclecticism, on the one hand, but given to an almost mystical enthusiasm for the music & the arts on the other, I seek out -above all- music that expresses an integration (rather than mere juxtaposition) of intellectual sense with emotional sensibility, complex structures as the vehicle for expressing profound human passions (e.g. Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Poulenc etc). I thank you, and shall continue to read with great interest.
Sincerely,
Jae Alexander
For my study in the Netherlands I’m researching the development of music in the past 2000 years. This site was one of the sites that inspired me for the research. Thank you!
I am regular reader, how are you everybody? This
paragraph posted at this web site is truly good.
Dear Mr. Mitchell, I just found your site, Amazing! Truly inspiring and very useful not only for a musician, composer and music teacher, as in my case, but for all those who love music. Thanks for sharing all that information and for the so many hours of work and research that takes to keep a page like this.
Good luck and keep up the good work!
Thanks for your positive comments!
Really appreciated your lucid essay on the opera seria. Just one comment I think Durastanti was a mezzo soprano woman not a castrato. She played the dfirst Sexto in Cesare.
Keep up the good work. jeanne
Thanks for your comment and you are indeed correct about Durastanti.
Thanks, I have clarified the point about Durastanti in the post.
Hello there I am so thrilled I found your web site, I really found you by accident, while I was searching on Google
for something else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say kudos for a tremendous post and a all round interesting blog
(I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the awesome job.
Hello there I am so thrilled I found your web site, I really found you by accident, while I was searching on Google for something else
Muchas gracias Sr. Barry Mitchell, a usted y sus colaboradores, por este hermoso regalo
Thank you, very much, for this magnificent gift
Appreciating the time and effort you put into your site and
detailed information you present. It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the
same unwanted rehashed material. Wonderful read! I’ve bookmarked your
site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.
gorgeous mind who make this this is vary halpfull
This is a great blog. We need more people who care about the craft of music.
Thanks for following back!
Mind that on June 15th my book “The music of the Temporalists” will be available for free, here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006FWZLSI/
Updates here:
https://www.facebook.com/Temporalists
Enjoy the reading!
Andrei
This is a AMAZING BLOG. THANKS !!!
Our choir is singing Brahms ‘A German Requiem’ at the Royal Festival Hall next February and we are currently putting together the programme. We would like to use the photo of Brahms’ mother Christiane that appears at https://theoryofmusic.wordpress.com/brahms_johanna-henrike-christiane-geb-nissen/ in our printed programme and I wondered whether you had a higher resolution/larger image of the photo?
Thanks, Sally Williams – concert manager, the Hackney Singers
concertmanager@hackneysingers.co.uk
Unfortunately I don’t have a higher resolution version of the photo, which I just downloaded from the internet. I can’t even remember where I got it from. By the way, if you have any publicity materials for your performance I would be happy to put them on this site. You can email them to barry.mitchell@theoryofmusic.eu.