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.

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. 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. 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.