This collection of essays brings together the research on Johann Mattheson (1681–1764), an influential musician and chronicler of musical thought in eighteenth-century Germany. The essays explore the cultural climate of Hamburg during Mattheson's lifetime; Mattheson as a composer; Mattheson's relationship to his contemporaries; and Mattheson's influence on developing musical theories and aesthetics.

Preface; General abbreviations; Abbreviations for the works of Johann Mattheson; 1. The legacy of Johan Mattheson: a retrospective evaluation Beekman C. Cannon; Part I. Mattheson and His Times: 2. Hamburg zur Zeit Johann Matthesons: Politik, Wirtschaft und Kultur Hans Wilhelm Eckardt; 3. Johann Mattheson als Diplomat in Hamburg Folkert Fiebig; 4. Mattheson and the aesthetics of theater Gloria Flaherty; 5. Zur hamburgischen Gelehrtenrepublik im Zeitalter Matthesons Jürgen Rathje; Part II. Mattheson as Composer and Writer on Music: 6. Johann Mattheson's 'Inquiring Composer' Beekman C. Cannon; 7. Mattheson's arrangement of Handel's Radamisto for the Hamburg Opera Winton Dean; 8. Mattheson als Begründer der ersten Musikzeitschrift (Critica musica) Imogen Fellinger; 9. Polemik als Erkenntnisform: Bemerkungen zu den Schriften Arno Forchert; 10. Unbekannte Kompositionen aus Johann Mattheson's Nachlass Hans Joachim Marx; 11. Mattheson on performance practice Frederick Neumann; 12. Die Verzierungskunst aus Matthesons Sicht Hans Turnow; Part III. Mattheson and his Contemporaries: 13. Der vollkommene Capellmeister as a stimulus to J. S. Bach's late fugal writing Gregory G. Butler; 14. Mattheson and Handel: their musical relations in Hamburg J. Merrill Knapp; 15. Mattheson und Gottsched Siegfried Kross; 16. Mattheson as biographer of Handel Alfred Mann; 17. Johann Mattheson and J. S. Bach: the Hamburg connection George B. Stauffer; Part IV. Mattheson and the Music Theory and Aesthtics of the Eighteenth Century: 18. Zur Handhabung der 'inventio' in der deutchen Musiklehre des frühen achtzehnten Jahrhunderts Wulf Arlt; 19. Johann Mattheson and the invention of the Affektenlehre George J. Buelow; 20. The genesis of Mattheson's style classification Claude V. Palisca; 21. Mattheson und die französische Musik Herbert Schneider; 22. Verwechselung, Voraunsnehmung, and Verzögerung: important Mattheson contributions to eighteenth-century music theory David A. Sheldon; Part V. Mattheson Bibliography: An Evaluation: 23. Johann Mattheson's historical significance: conflicting viewpoints Ernest Harriss; Name index; Index of Mattheson's writings and compositions.