This volume serves as a comprehensive primary source collection designed to illustrate the evolution of Western musical notation and composition from its earliest origins through the early eighteenth century. David J. Rothenberg, an established scholar in musicology, curates this anthology to provide students and researchers with direct access to the scores that define the Western canon. The text functions as a pedagogical companion to broader historical surveys, grounding theoretical discussions in the tangible evidence of musical manuscripts and printed editions.

Academic institutions frequently utilize this anthology as a standard resource for undergraduate music history curricula. Scholars and instructors note that the selection provides a balanced representation of the repertoire necessary for understanding the development of Western musical structures.