On the History of Instrumental Music is a critical re-examination of how instrumental music emerged, developed, and came to be judged. Rather than repeating inherited narratives, the book challenges the belief that instrumental music lagged behind vocal art, arguing instead for its early technical sophistication and artistic independence. Drawing on historical sources, archival evidence, and repertory examples, Eichborn shows how wind and instrumental traditions played a central role in musical life long before they were granted full artistic legitimacy.
Hermann Eichborn (1847–1918) was a German jurist and independent scholar whose writings combined historical insight with sharp cultural criticism. Deeply concerned with the social standing of musicians and the misuse of historical judgement, he argued for what he called productive criticism — historically informed, intellectually rigorous, and morally serious. Though marginal in his own time, Eichborn’s work speaks with striking relevance to modern debates about tradition, progress, and artistic value.
