Zingend door het leven: Het Nederlandse liedboek in de Gouden Eeuw

The songbooks are a tangible reminder of the lively seventeenth-century song culture. Young and old, rich and poor: everyone sang, from the cradle to the grave. Natascha Veldhorst shows the diversity and originality of the genre. In addition, the book contains many surprising illustrations that underline how much singing and songbooks were integrated into daily life at the time. Songbooks were long loved by the Dutch population. The genre was invented in the sixteenth century, but remained popular for centuries afterwards. The Golden Age in particular flourished impressively, with hundreds of bundles in various sizes, prices and designs. The Dutch situation was unique in quantity and quality. Nowhere in Europe have the songbooks been produced and purchased with such energy and enthusiasm. Singing through life is devoted to this fascinating cultural-historical phenomenon. The book elaborates on the design and content of the songbooks, the relationship between newly composed and existing music, the influence of publishers and printers, the connections between song culture and theater, the popularity of amorous songbooks with young people, and religious resistance to the compelling influence of music. Thematic chapters are interspersed with twelve short interludes about individual songbooks, which show the great diversity and originality of the genre. Surprising illustrations emphasize how much the songbooks were integrated into everyday life. Song books, paintings and prints are a tangible reminder of our lively seventeenth-century song culture. Young and old, rich and poor: everyone sang, from the cradle to the grave.