And as music itself was becoming more and more of a public affair, discussions and writings about music increased greatly. In The Baroque Era, Margaret Murata presents twoscore readings from a constellation of personalities whose thoughts and opinions help define the period for us. We hear, of course, from the composers (Monteverdi, Sch tz, Rameau, Bach) and the theorists (Artusi, Simpson, North, Mattheson), but we also find the words of nonmusicians, ranging from the famous (Joseph Addison, Lady Mary Montagu) to the unknown "Truthful Reporter."