The Musical Times
Joseph Mainzer launched a publication called Mainzer's Musical Times and Singing Circular in 1842. The first issue contained only eight pages of printed material. Each edition included a single piece of choral music for subscribers to use. These pieces alternated between sacred themes and secular subjects. Choral society members purchased subscriptions together to access the music inside. Alfred Novello acquired the journal two years later in 1844. He had previously established another periodical known as The Musical World in 1836. Novello and Co. began publishing the magazine on a monthly schedule under his ownership.
The title shortened to The Musical Times starting in January 1904. This change followed sixty-one years of using its original full name. Monthly issues continued until the year 2004 when the frequency shifted to quarterly publication. The transition marked a significant reduction in how often new content reached readers. Editors maintained the core mission despite changing schedules. The shift from twelve annual releases to four per year altered the rhythm of musical discourse within Britain.
World War II raged across Europe while editors kept printing each month without interruption. No other western classical music periodical matched this streak of continuous output during those years. The journal became the oldest continuously published periodical devoted to western classical music by that time. Staff members worked through shortages and blackouts to deliver fresh editions. Readers relied on these pages for updates on concerts, compositions, and critical reviews throughout the conflict.
Percy Scholes edited a two-volume retrospective covering one hundred years of content in 1947. The collection titled The Mirror of Music: 1844-1944 captured a century of British musical life. Scholars used these volumes to trace changes in taste and performance practice over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The compilation preserved articles that might otherwise have been lost to time. It served as a definitive record of the first century of the magazine's existence.
JSTOR now hosts digital copies of past issues for researchers and students. RILM Abstracts of Music Literature Full Text also provides access to the archive online. These databases allow users to search decades of criticism and commentary from a single interface. Physical copies remain rare outside major library collections. Digital availability ensures the material reaches new audiences beyond traditional academic circles.
The Winter 2024 edition carried a Special Announcement declaring indefinite suspension of the periodical. Editors stated they would not produce further issues for the foreseeable future. At that moment it remained the oldest such journal still being published within the United Kingdom. The decision ended an uninterrupted run spanning nearly two centuries. Collectors and historians now view the final printed issue as a historical artifact marking the end of an era.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did Joseph Mainzer launch the publication called The Musical Times?
Joseph Mainzer launched a publication called Mainzer's Musical Times and Singing Circular in 1842. The first issue contained only eight pages of printed material.
Who acquired the journal two years after its founding in 1844?
Alfred Novello acquired the journal two years later in 1844. He had previously established another periodical known as The Musical World in 1836.
What year did the title shorten to The Musical Times starting from January 1904?
The title shortened to The Musical Times starting in January 1904. This change followed sixty-one years of using its original full name.
Which editor wrote a retrospective covering one hundred years of content in 1947?
Percy Scholes edited a two-volume retrospective covering one hundred years of content in 1947. The collection titled The Mirror of Music: 1844-1944 captured a century of British musical life.
When was the Winter 2024 edition that declared indefinite suspension published?
The Winter 2024 edition carried a Special Announcement declaring indefinite suspension of the periodical. Editors stated they would not produce further issues for the foreseeable future.