This volume investigates the evolution of musical theory, composition, and performance practice during the transition from the High Renaissance to the early Baroque period. Gerald E. Abraham, a noted musicologist, compiles contributions from various scholars to analyze how the intellectual climate of Humanism influenced the structural and expressive qualities of European music. The text argues that the shift in aesthetic priorities during these nine decades laid the foundational frameworks for subsequent Western musical development.

Scholars and music historians frequently cite this volume as a standard reference for the specific stylistic transitions occurring between 1540 and 1630. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which assumes a foundational knowledge of music theory and historical context.