The Etude (magazine)
Encyclopedia
The Etude was a U.S.
magazine
dedicated to music
, which was founded by Theodore Presser
(1848–1925) at Lynchburg, Virginia
, and first published in October 1883. In 1884, Presser moved his publishing headquarters to Philadelphia
, and his Theodore Presser Company
continued the magazine until 1957.
Targeted as much as possible to all musicians, from the novice to the serious student to the professional, The Etude printed articles about both basic/popular and more involved musical subjects (including history, literature, gossip, and politics), write-in advice columns about musical pedagogy, and graded piano
sheet music
. Long-time editor James Francis Cooke (editor-in-chief from 1909 through 1949) added to its masthead the phrase "Music Exalts Life!", and the magazine became a platform for Cooke's somewhat polemical and militantly optimistic editorials. The Etudes sometimes conservative outlook and contents may have contributed to its circulation decline during the 1930s and 40s, but in many respects it moved with the times, unequivocally supporting the phonograph, radio, and eventually television, and embracing jazz by the late thirties. By the end, George Rochberg
was an editor of The Etude (under Guy McCoy, who had succeeded Cooke as editor-in-chief after over two decades as an assistant), and the magazine's musical content became more in-step with the contemporary.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
dedicated to music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, which was founded by Theodore Presser
Theodore Presser Company
The Theodore Presser Company is an American music publishing and distribution company located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and formerly based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest continuing music publisher in the United States.-Theodore Presser:...
(1848–1925) at Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, and first published in October 1883. In 1884, Presser moved his publishing headquarters to Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and his Theodore Presser Company
Theodore Presser Company
The Theodore Presser Company is an American music publishing and distribution company located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and formerly based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest continuing music publisher in the United States.-Theodore Presser:...
continued the magazine until 1957.
Targeted as much as possible to all musicians, from the novice to the serious student to the professional, The Etude printed articles about both basic/popular and more involved musical subjects (including history, literature, gossip, and politics), write-in advice columns about musical pedagogy, and graded piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
. Long-time editor James Francis Cooke (editor-in-chief from 1909 through 1949) added to its masthead the phrase "Music Exalts Life!", and the magazine became a platform for Cooke's somewhat polemical and militantly optimistic editorials. The Etudes sometimes conservative outlook and contents may have contributed to its circulation decline during the 1930s and 40s, but in many respects it moved with the times, unequivocally supporting the phonograph, radio, and eventually television, and embracing jazz by the late thirties. By the end, George Rochberg
George Rochberg
George Rochberg was an American composer of contemporary classical music.-Life:Rochberg was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He attended the Mannes College of Music, where his teachers included George Szell and Hans Weisse, and the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Rosario Scalero and...
was an editor of The Etude (under Guy McCoy, who had succeeded Cooke as editor-in-chief after over two decades as an assistant), and the magazine's musical content became more in-step with the contemporary.