As organ-grinder communities in large cities like London expanded in the late nineteenth century, the question of women’s (and children’s) presence in these contexts came to the attention of middle-class observers. Several issues emerge from reports in contemporary British newspapers: Firstly, to what extent was the organ grinders’ music considered to be music? Secondly, to what extent was organ-grinding considered to be a legitimate (and not a deviant or spurious) form of work for women? Lastly, what kinds of freedoms might an organ-grinding life appear to offer, and how did this relate to contemporary middle-class movements for women’s liberation?

Peter Maxwell Davies’s Third Symphony, commissioned by the BBC in 1983, serves as a compelling example with which to explore the emergence of a new beast in the musical jungle: the composer’s agent. This moment represents a turning point in the commercialization of the classical music world. The fee negotiation for the symphony, handled by Maxwell Davies’s agent rather than his publisher, exemplifies the shifting power dynamics introduced by the agent’s arrival. Drawing on archival records, personal memoirs, and interviews, this article reconstructs the complex network of relationships involved, offering a nuanced understanding of the commissioning process during this pivotal moment.

The Italian features of Nicolas Bernier’s musical style have already been brought to light, but one remains to be addressed: his contrapuntal writing and the relationship between the basso continuo and the other parts. Nothing is known of Bernier’s stay in Rome, but musical clues suggest that he was in contact with Bernardo Pasquini and that he may have practised the latter’s partimenti. Bernier’s output betrays musical gestures inherited from these Italian pedagogical tools, testifying that the partimento tradition had a profound impact on the composer and that he played a key role in introducing its use in France.

In 1940, Serge Koussevitzky officially founded the Berkshire Music Center (later known as Tanglewood) and appointed Aaron Copland as head of the faculty. Copland actively participated in the US cultural diplomatic initiative of the Good Neighbor Policy by setting up the conditions for modern Latin American composers to attend the Center. By examining the contribution of modern Latin American art music, especially at Tanglewood, this article reflects on the relationship between music and politics, and shows that musical modernism encompasses a much broader artistic spectrum than previously thought.