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The Musical Review and Musical World


On 4 August 1860 the Mason Brothers acquired Richard Storrs Willis’ and Oliver Dyer’s [New York] Musical World and merged it with the Mason Brothers’ existing New York Musical Review and Gazette. The Mason Brothers published the journal until 5 July 1862 when they sold the publication to the previously-undeclared editor, Theodore Hagen. Over its publication run, the journal shifts away from sacred music to concert music with an increasing European focus, reflecting Hagen’s Germanic background and tastes. Musical correspondence from across the United States is gradually replaced by articles on theoretical topics, portraits of composers, and concert reviews—content aligned with, and sometimes derived from, European journals.