The rise of democratic ideals and the burgeoning middle class of the late 19th and early 20th centuries precipitated an important surge in the prevalence of music in everyday life. Cafe concerts, dances, and operas all flourished in major cities across Europe as more people wanted access to performances and musical education. The approximately 150 artworks included in this handsomely illustrated volume, by major artists including Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, James McNeill Whistler, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pierre Bonnard, trace the growing presence of music in painting, and include depictions of public performances-brass bands, circuses, cabarets, orchestras, operas, festivals--as well as more intimate scenes featuring parlor music and music lessons.
