First Philharmonic A History of the Royal Philharmonic Society [Hardcover]

Established in 1813, the Royal Philharmonic is the world's second oldest concert society--only Leipzig is senior. Celebrating this venerable institution,First Philharmonicdraws on exhaustive research in the Society's archives to tell the colorful and fascinating story and offer valuable insights into the history of concert life.

A scrupulously researched, well-written history...Highly recommended for larger collections. --Choice

There have been earlier histories of the Royal Philharmonic Society, but Professor Ehrlich's is the most comprehensive and readable. --Sunday Telegraph

His style is engagingly crisp and he enlivens his narrative with numerous cameos, as economical as they are entertaining. --The Times

Cyril Ehrlich has admirably charted the fortunes, musical and financial, of a venerable institution....the book will reveal itself as a mine of memorable moments. It is attractively produced and conscientiously proof-read. --The Musical Times

Cyril Ehrlich, doyen of social historians of music, has achieved a remarkable fusion: an entertaining, readable, chronological account packed with lively incident and vivid character sketches that at the same time gives a true picture of the stresses faced by a developing institution over nearly two centuries. --American Historical Review