Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. 2nd ed.

Desmond Maley is a librarian at the J.W. Tate Library, Laurentian
University.

The publication of EMC1 in 1981 was a landmark event that, in many
respects, announced the arrival of Canadian music on the world stage as
a distinctive cultural phenomenon. This greatly expanded second edition
testifies to its flowering.

Biographies of 100 composers and a new generation of outstanding
performers have been added. Reflecting the increased attention being
paid to recorded music and the exhilarating rise of genres other than
“classical” (e.g., folk, ethnic, jazz, Native, New Age, rap, rock),
articles and discographies are either included for the first time or
expanded considerably. The “music marketing” phenomenon of the 1980s
is reflected in new articles on career counselling, governments and
music, music as a social phenomenon, and music industries. The
proliferation of electronic technologies is also reflected in expanded
articles on electroacoustic music and recorded sound production.
Altogether, 200 entries from the first edition were deleted or condensed
and 820 entries were added for a total of more than 3700 articles and
500 photographs with extensive cross references and bibliographies.

Fortunately, many members of the original editorial team were on hand
to oversee this second edition. The sole newcomer among the senior
editors, Robin Elliott—who has a Ph.D. in the history of Canadian
chamber music—was responsible for English style. The team was assisted
by a huge network of consultants, contributors, and information scouts
from across the country, as well as archives, libraries, museums, and
embassies representing many countries in Ottawa.

The writing retains the stylistic uniformity and clarity of the first
edition and is compulsively readable. However, there is a tendency to
reprint material from the first edition when, in some instances, fresh
commentary might be warranted. For example, on Oscar Peterson’s piano
style, we find the same paragraph-long quote from a 1975 Maclean’s
article. But this is a minor quibble in assessing what, by any standard,
is a magnificent achievement. EMC2 will not be surpassed for many years.
The editors—and indeed all of Canada’s musicians—have reason to be
proud.