Musical Myths and Facts, Volume 1 (of 2)

"Musical Myths and Facts, Volume 1" by Carl Engel is a journey through the world of music, setting out to correct misunderstandings and share accurate information about musical traditions. It's like a collection of stories and studies from the 1800s that looks at music from different places and times. The author starts off by talking about what makes a good music library, pointing out that England needs more music even though people are getting more interested in it. Engel thinks it's important to have famous songs but also ones that aren't as well-known. He also talks about how folk songs and national music show what different cultures are like and what they care about, promising in later sections to talk about musical instruments and their cultural history, showing why they were important in the past and why they still matter today.