August Ferdinand Hermann Kretzschmar (1848-1924) was one of the most renowned German musicologists. After positions in Leipzig, Metz, and Rostock, he was appointed as a full professor of music at the Berlin Friedrich-Wilhelm-University (now Humboldt University) in 1904. From 1909 to 1920, he succeeded the legendary violinist Joseph Joachim at the Berlin University of the Arts. In his well-founded presentation, he traces the development of music from prehistoric times in antiquity through the Middle Ages to the instrumental music of the 19th century, with a particular focus on vocal music. This is a reprint of the original edition published in Leipzig in 1920.