When the first edition of "Queering the Pitch" was published in early 1994, it was immediately hailed as a landmark and defining work in the new field of Gay Musicology. The first collection of its kind, its contributors covered a wide range of subjects from analysis of the work of gay composers to queer readings of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. Among the contributors were many then-new scholars, --including the late Philip Brett (one of the editors of the first edition), Susan McClary, Jennifer Rycenga, Paul Attinello, and Martha Mockus--who have since become leaders in the field.
In light of the explosion of Gay Musicology since 1994, a new edition of "Queering the Pitch" is timely and needed. In this new work, the editors are including a landmark essay by Philip Brett on Gay Musicology, its history and scope, which was written for Grove's Dictionary of Music-but only published in a greatly reduced version, because of its strong political approach. The essay itself has become a cause celebre, and this will be its first full appearance in print. Along with this new historical essay, the editors are contributing a new introduction that outlines the changes that have occurred over the last decade as Gay Musicology has grown.
