Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book maps the socio-musical space signified by the word "harmony" in Britain during the last half of the eighteenth century, and determines the conditions governing women's participation in it. It examines didactic, literary, and musical texts written by women for instances of and resistance to contemporary perceptions of music as a form of social control. Before examining the ways in which British women were able to define themselves as musical subjects during the last half of the eighteenth century, the book elaborates upon past and present critical perceptions regarding the aspects of women's participation in music and in writing about music. It examines eighteenth-century definitions of harmony, both as a musical practice and as a metaphor for an individual's place in society. The book also examines ideas regarding the place of performance, and its critical representation as a public or private space.