author
Walter Rowlands
b. 1855
Best known for lively introductions to art, literature, music, and history, this Boston-based writer helped turn big cultural subjects into approachable reading for general audiences. His books have a brisk, companionable style that fits readers who like classic reference works with personality.
1 Audiobook
Among the Great Masters of Music Scenes in the Lives of Famous Musicians
by Walter Rowlands
About the author
Walter Rowlands was an American author and editor born in 1855. Sources connected with later editions of his books describe him as based in Boston and employed in the Fine Arts Division of the Boston Public Library.
He is especially associated with a run of accessible survey books sometimes called the "Master Series," including Among the Great Masters of Literature, Among the Great Masters of Music, Among the Great Masters of Painting, Among the Great Masters of Oratory, Among the Great Masters of Warfare, and Among the Great Masters of the Drama. Earlier works linked to him include Recent Italian Art (1888) and Recent English Art (1889), and a later title, Curious Old Gravestones in and About Boston (1924), shows his interest in local history as well as the arts.
Not much biographical detail seems to be widely documented beyond those basics, but his body of work suggests a writer who enjoyed guiding readers through major figures and movements in a clear, enthusiastic way.