Bonnie J. Blackburn
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197265277
- eISBN:
- 9780191754203
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265277.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, Cultural History
In his Lives, Giorgio Vasari mentions many artists who were talented at music when they were young, prominently Giorgione and Sebastiano del Piombo. Benvenuto Cellini resisted his father's pressure ...
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In his Lives, Giorgio Vasari mentions many artists who were talented at music when they were young, prominently Giorgione and Sebastiano del Piombo. Benvenuto Cellini resisted his father's pressure to choose music. Why? How rewarding was a musical profession in Renaissance Italy? It could be very lucrative, both for town musicians such as Cellini's father and for castratos. Moonlighting for banquets, dances, even spying, could bring in additional income. For gentlemen, music was a necessary social grace; they had private tutors, such as Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego, who was himself a painter as well as a printer. Amateurs could learn from cathedral choirmasters, who were often music theorists, the pinnacle of the profession. The theorist Pietro Aaron, choirmaster at Imola Cathedral, then tutor to the sons of Sebastian Michiel, Grand Prior of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem in Venice, had a wide acquaintance among humanists, noblemen and other musicians, and his letters open a window on the life of a musician. Among his many professions, the writer Antonfrancesco Doni counted music; a madrigal he wrote in 1560 is included in an appendix. The ability to improvise verses and music was much prized, ranging from star performers such as Serafino Aquilano to amateurs such as Niccolò Machiavelli. Portraits of musicians are discussed; they offer important evidence but are difficult to interpret. The theorist Lodovico Zacconi concluded in 1592 that being a musician was not only an honourable and lucrative profession but an enjoyable one.Less
In his Lives, Giorgio Vasari mentions many artists who were talented at music when they were young, prominently Giorgione and Sebastiano del Piombo. Benvenuto Cellini resisted his father's pressure to choose music. Why? How rewarding was a musical profession in Renaissance Italy? It could be very lucrative, both for town musicians such as Cellini's father and for castratos. Moonlighting for banquets, dances, even spying, could bring in additional income. For gentlemen, music was a necessary social grace; they had private tutors, such as Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego, who was himself a painter as well as a printer. Amateurs could learn from cathedral choirmasters, who were often music theorists, the pinnacle of the profession. The theorist Pietro Aaron, choirmaster at Imola Cathedral, then tutor to the sons of Sebastian Michiel, Grand Prior of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem in Venice, had a wide acquaintance among humanists, noblemen and other musicians, and his letters open a window on the life of a musician. Among his many professions, the writer Antonfrancesco Doni counted music; a madrigal he wrote in 1560 is included in an appendix. The ability to improvise verses and music was much prized, ranging from star performers such as Serafino Aquilano to amateurs such as Niccolò Machiavelli. Portraits of musicians are discussed; they offer important evidence but are difficult to interpret. The theorist Lodovico Zacconi concluded in 1592 that being a musician was not only an honourable and lucrative profession but an enjoyable one.
Daniel B. Cornfield
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691160733
- eISBN:
- 9781400873890
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691160733.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
At a time when the bulwarks of the music industry are collapsing, what does it mean to be a successful musician and artist? How might contemporary musicians sustain their artistic communities? Based ...
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At a time when the bulwarks of the music industry are collapsing, what does it mean to be a successful musician and artist? How might contemporary musicians sustain their artistic communities? Based on interviews with over seventy-five popular-music professionals in Nashville, this book looks at artist activists—those visionaries who create inclusive artist communities in today's individualistic and entrepreneurial art world. Using Nashville as a model, the book develops a theory of artist activism—the ways that artist peers strengthen and build diverse artist communities. The book discusses how genre-diversifying artist activists have arisen throughout the late twentieth-century musician migration to Nashville, a city that boasts the highest concentration of music jobs in the United States. Music City is now home to diverse recording artists—including Jack White, El Movimiento, the Black Keys, and Paramore. The book identifies three types of artist activists: the artist-producer who produces and distributes his or her own and others' work while mentoring early-career artists, the social entrepreneur who maintains social spaces for artist networking, and arts trade union reformers who are revamping collective bargaining and union functions. Throughout, the book examines enterprising musicians both known and less recognized. It links individual and collective actions taken by artist activists to their orientations toward success, audience, and risk and to their original inspirations for embarking on music careers. The book offers a new model of artistic success based on innovating creative institutions to benefit the society at large.Less
At a time when the bulwarks of the music industry are collapsing, what does it mean to be a successful musician and artist? How might contemporary musicians sustain their artistic communities? Based on interviews with over seventy-five popular-music professionals in Nashville, this book looks at artist activists—those visionaries who create inclusive artist communities in today's individualistic and entrepreneurial art world. Using Nashville as a model, the book develops a theory of artist activism—the ways that artist peers strengthen and build diverse artist communities. The book discusses how genre-diversifying artist activists have arisen throughout the late twentieth-century musician migration to Nashville, a city that boasts the highest concentration of music jobs in the United States. Music City is now home to diverse recording artists—including Jack White, El Movimiento, the Black Keys, and Paramore. The book identifies three types of artist activists: the artist-producer who produces and distributes his or her own and others' work while mentoring early-career artists, the social entrepreneur who maintains social spaces for artist networking, and arts trade union reformers who are revamping collective bargaining and union functions. Throughout, the book examines enterprising musicians both known and less recognized. It links individual and collective actions taken by artist activists to their orientations toward success, audience, and risk and to their original inspirations for embarking on music careers. The book offers a new model of artistic success based on innovating creative institutions to benefit the society at large.
Halina Goldberg
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195130737
- eISBN:
- 9780199867424
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195130737.003.0007
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Warsaw's salons, especially those principally dedicated to musical gatherings, provided the most interesting venue for serious music making. This chapter discusses the professional and amateur ...
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Warsaw's salons, especially those principally dedicated to musical gatherings, provided the most interesting venue for serious music making. This chapter discusses the professional and amateur musicians who were active in the salon scene, repertories favored within the salon settings — piano, vocal, and chamber music in particular — and the specifics of music-making in musical salons, especially those at the homes of Joseph Christoph Kessler and Józef and Anna Cichocki. For Chopin, much musical education came in the guise of salon chamber concerts, which included chamber transcriptions of orchestral music. Performances of this sort gave him the opportunity to become acquainted with repertories not heard in concert (by listening to or participating in performances). They also provided him with a venue through which he could test and customize his own compositions.Less
Warsaw's salons, especially those principally dedicated to musical gatherings, provided the most interesting venue for serious music making. This chapter discusses the professional and amateur musicians who were active in the salon scene, repertories favored within the salon settings — piano, vocal, and chamber music in particular — and the specifics of music-making in musical salons, especially those at the homes of Joseph Christoph Kessler and Józef and Anna Cichocki. For Chopin, much musical education came in the guise of salon chamber concerts, which included chamber transcriptions of orchestral music. Performances of this sort gave him the opportunity to become acquainted with repertories not heard in concert (by listening to or participating in performances). They also provided him with a venue through which he could test and customize his own compositions.
Daniel B. Cornfield
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691160733
- eISBN:
- 9781400873890
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691160733.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture
This chapter describes how artist activists from Nashville are creating a “mechanically solidary” community of entrepreneurial artists alongside and partly from the ranks of an older, organically ...
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This chapter describes how artist activists from Nashville are creating a “mechanically solidary” community of entrepreneurial artists alongside and partly from the ranks of an older, organically solidary corporate-era artist community. Nashville entrepreneurial musicians constitute themselves as a community by producing and performing for one another, showing up to each others' showcases, and extending mutual aid during trying moments in their lives. Here, the Nashville musician community has a tendency to “cross-promote,” and the chapter reveals how the community is largely very supportive of each other's art. In addition, the chapter also discusses the background of the present study and the approaches the author has taken in studying Nashville's artist community.Less
This chapter describes how artist activists from Nashville are creating a “mechanically solidary” community of entrepreneurial artists alongside and partly from the ranks of an older, organically solidary corporate-era artist community. Nashville entrepreneurial musicians constitute themselves as a community by producing and performing for one another, showing up to each others' showcases, and extending mutual aid during trying moments in their lives. Here, the Nashville musician community has a tendency to “cross-promote,” and the chapter reveals how the community is largely very supportive of each other's art. In addition, the chapter also discusses the background of the present study and the approaches the author has taken in studying Nashville's artist community.
Paul Borgman
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195331608
- eISBN:
- 9780199868001
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195331608.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
The story's multiple introductions of David consist of four brilliantly clear vignettes that do not add up to any apparent coherence of character. The resulting complexity yields a mystery that ...
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The story's multiple introductions of David consist of four brilliantly clear vignettes that do not add up to any apparent coherence of character. The resulting complexity yields a mystery that contrasts sharply with what is an economically achieved clarity of character for Saul. First, the audience meets David, whom only God knows (1, 16.1‐13); again we meet David, brought before a troubled King Saul as a musical therapist (1, 16:14‐23); a third time for the audience—and second for Saul, David is introduced as a talkative warrior who is simultaneously pious and political (1, 17:1‐54); and finally, we find Saul asking who David is! (I, 17:55‐18:5). The first introduction to David sets the narrative tone: prophet Samuel is sent to anoint David—under the ruse of a sacrifice—but the seer sees wrongly in the selection process. Then, King Saul meets two very different Davids: a quiescent, responsive David followed by a politically ambitious and overtly pious David. Finally, a confused Saul asks David about his identity.Less
The story's multiple introductions of David consist of four brilliantly clear vignettes that do not add up to any apparent coherence of character. The resulting complexity yields a mystery that contrasts sharply with what is an economically achieved clarity of character for Saul. First, the audience meets David, whom only God knows (1, 16.1‐13); again we meet David, brought before a troubled King Saul as a musical therapist (1, 16:14‐23); a third time for the audience—and second for Saul, David is introduced as a talkative warrior who is simultaneously pious and political (1, 17:1‐54); and finally, we find Saul asking who David is! (I, 17:55‐18:5). The first introduction to David sets the narrative tone: prophet Samuel is sent to anoint David—under the ruse of a sacrifice—but the seer sees wrongly in the selection process. Then, King Saul meets two very different Davids: a quiescent, responsive David followed by a politically ambitious and overtly pious David. Finally, a confused Saul asks David about his identity.
FORTINI BROWN PATRICIA
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197265055
- eISBN:
- 9780191754166
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265055.003.0002
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
This chapter examines the tensions between the sacred and profane in attitudes towards the art of music as manifested in Venetian Renaissance painting. Choirs of pious music-making angels playing a ...
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This chapter examines the tensions between the sacred and profane in attitudes towards the art of music as manifested in Venetian Renaissance painting. Choirs of pious music-making angels playing a variety of musical instruments were a notable feature of Venetian altarpieces from the fourteenth century on. And yet, by the early years of the sixteenth century, these concerts of sacred music were eclipsed by secular images of flute-playing shepherds and lute-strumming youths. While household inventories tell us that musical instruments played a central role in family congeniality, paintings of the time also associate musical performance with ladies of dubious respectability. Thus, while music was treasured for its spiritual enlightenment and contribution to refined domesticity, it was also suspect because of its seductive sensuality.Less
This chapter examines the tensions between the sacred and profane in attitudes towards the art of music as manifested in Venetian Renaissance painting. Choirs of pious music-making angels playing a variety of musical instruments were a notable feature of Venetian altarpieces from the fourteenth century on. And yet, by the early years of the sixteenth century, these concerts of sacred music were eclipsed by secular images of flute-playing shepherds and lute-strumming youths. While household inventories tell us that musical instruments played a central role in family congeniality, paintings of the time also associate musical performance with ladies of dubious respectability. Thus, while music was treasured for its spiritual enlightenment and contribution to refined domesticity, it was also suspect because of its seductive sensuality.
TRACY E. COOPER
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197265055
- eISBN:
- 9780191754166
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265055.003.0004
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Visual representation of instruments and musical practice has long been integral to the study of the iconology and archaeology of early music. Critical to any assessment of such evidence is an ...
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Visual representation of instruments and musical practice has long been integral to the study of the iconology and archaeology of early music. Critical to any assessment of such evidence is an understanding of the authority of the artist, and his/her knowledge and degree of participation in musical culture. Contemporary sources reveal that music played a variety of roles in the lives and public perception of the Renaissance artists. Its most tangible manifestation was that of the artist-musician, of whom Leonardo da Vinci is one of the best-known examples. An association with courtliness was one of several markers of status conferred by musical practice. This chapter investigates the domestic setting of the artist, whether in a courtly environment or in a republic, to develop themes of the social elevation of the artist, entertainment and performance, as well as creativity.Less
Visual representation of instruments and musical practice has long been integral to the study of the iconology and archaeology of early music. Critical to any assessment of such evidence is an understanding of the authority of the artist, and his/her knowledge and degree of participation in musical culture. Contemporary sources reveal that music played a variety of roles in the lives and public perception of the Renaissance artists. Its most tangible manifestation was that of the artist-musician, of whom Leonardo da Vinci is one of the best-known examples. An association with courtliness was one of several markers of status conferred by musical practice. This chapter investigates the domestic setting of the artist, whether in a courtly environment or in a republic, to develop themes of the social elevation of the artist, entertainment and performance, as well as creativity.
DEBORAH HOWARD
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197265055
- eISBN:
- 9780191754166
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265055.003.0006
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
This chapter considers the role of music and dance in the definition of identity by families and individuals in Renaissance Venice, with particular reference to the use of domestic space for ...
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This chapter considers the role of music and dance in the definition of identity by families and individuals in Renaissance Venice, with particular reference to the use of domestic space for music-making. The integration of music into its social and architectural context is discussed in terms of the class identity of different groups. The contexts range from domestic entertainment to family festivities such as marriages. The chapter goes on to explore the kinds of music-making in different spaces in the Venetian dwelling, in terms of the size and loudness of the instrument; the type of music performed; and the size, function and decoration of the room. During the sixteenth century, increasingly specialised rooms were created for music-making, often linked to theatrical performance and/or dance. In parallel, the employment of professional musicians by elite families began to supersede amateur participation on important festive occasions.Less
This chapter considers the role of music and dance in the definition of identity by families and individuals in Renaissance Venice, with particular reference to the use of domestic space for music-making. The integration of music into its social and architectural context is discussed in terms of the class identity of different groups. The contexts range from domestic entertainment to family festivities such as marriages. The chapter goes on to explore the kinds of music-making in different spaces in the Venetian dwelling, in terms of the size and loudness of the instrument; the type of music performed; and the size, function and decoration of the room. During the sixteenth century, increasingly specialised rooms were created for music-making, often linked to theatrical performance and/or dance. In parallel, the employment of professional musicians by elite families began to supersede amateur participation on important festive occasions.
MICHAEL MARKHAM
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197265055
- eISBN:
- 9780191754166
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265055.003.0013
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
Celebrated performer Giulio Caccini's life as a court musician throws light on the ways in which the soloist formulated and reformulated his/her own identity in order to fit within each of the spaces ...
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Celebrated performer Giulio Caccini's life as a court musician throws light on the ways in which the soloist formulated and reformulated his/her own identity in order to fit within each of the spaces used for music. Tracing the documented performances associated with Caccini, one can map them onto a continuum of spaces from the most public to the most private. Caccini's successful passage into the more intimate spaces required him to re-form himself as the inheritor of the century-old tradition of the intimate vocal improvvisatori, a stylistic and physical transformation that was, in a sense, his life's work. This performative conception of his musical work is a potent reminder of the ambiguous status of solo song at the beginning of the Seicento, perched between the abstract space of the printed score and the traditional space of the court chamber.Less
Celebrated performer Giulio Caccini's life as a court musician throws light on the ways in which the soloist formulated and reformulated his/her own identity in order to fit within each of the spaces used for music. Tracing the documented performances associated with Caccini, one can map them onto a continuum of spaces from the most public to the most private. Caccini's successful passage into the more intimate spaces required him to re-form himself as the inheritor of the century-old tradition of the intimate vocal improvvisatori, a stylistic and physical transformation that was, in a sense, his life's work. This performative conception of his musical work is a potent reminder of the ambiguous status of solo song at the beginning of the Seicento, perched between the abstract space of the printed score and the traditional space of the court chamber.
Mushirul Hasan
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198063117
- eISBN:
- 9780199080199
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198063117.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, Indian History
The author witnesses various forms of entertainment while in London, including the theatre and circus. The manner in which plays are acted, and balls and musical parties conducted, in Europe is ...
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The author witnesses various forms of entertainment while in London, including the theatre and circus. The manner in which plays are acted, and balls and musical parties conducted, in Europe is (entirely) different from that of Hindoostan. In India, people send for the singers to their own houses, where they view the entertainments, and spend a large sum of money for one night's amusement. In Europe, a few individuals usually enter into partnership, (or) as it is called in English, a company. In one night, dancers and musicians collect five or six thousand rupees in exchange for entertaining the audience. The author also saw an exhibition near the bazar of the Haymarket of a tall and corpulent female standing more than five cubits.Less
The author witnesses various forms of entertainment while in London, including the theatre and circus. The manner in which plays are acted, and balls and musical parties conducted, in Europe is (entirely) different from that of Hindoostan. In India, people send for the singers to their own houses, where they view the entertainments, and spend a large sum of money for one night's amusement. In Europe, a few individuals usually enter into partnership, (or) as it is called in English, a company. In one night, dancers and musicians collect five or six thousand rupees in exchange for entertaining the audience. The author also saw an exhibition near the bazar of the Haymarket of a tall and corpulent female standing more than five cubits.
Andreas C. Lehmann, John A. Sloboda, and Robert H. Woody
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195146103
- eISBN:
- 9780199851164
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195146103.001.0001
- Subject:
- Music, Psychology of Music
This book provides a concise, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to psychological research for musicians, performers, music educators, and studio teachers. Designed to address the needs and ...
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This book provides a concise, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to psychological research for musicians, performers, music educators, and studio teachers. Designed to address the needs and priorities of the performing musician rather than the research community, it reviews the relevant psychological research findings in relation to situations and issues faced by musicians, and draws out practical implications for the practice of teaching and performance. Rather than a list of dos and don'ts, the book equips musicians with an understanding of the basic psychological principles that underlie music performance, enabling each reader to apply the content flexibly to the task at hand. Following a brief review of the scientific method as a way of thinking about the issues and problems in music, the text addresses the nature–nurture problem, identification and assessment of musical aptitude, musical development, adult skill maintenance, technical and expressive skills, practice, interpretation and expressivity, sight-reading, memorization, creativity, and composition, performance anxiety, critical listening, and teaching and learning. While there is a large body of empirical research regarding music, most musicians lack the scientific training to interpret these studies. This text bridges this gap by relating these skills to the musician's experiences, addressing their needs directly with non-technical language and practical application. It includes multiple illustrations, brief music examples, cases, questions, and suggestions for further reading.Less
This book provides a concise, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to psychological research for musicians, performers, music educators, and studio teachers. Designed to address the needs and priorities of the performing musician rather than the research community, it reviews the relevant psychological research findings in relation to situations and issues faced by musicians, and draws out practical implications for the practice of teaching and performance. Rather than a list of dos and don'ts, the book equips musicians with an understanding of the basic psychological principles that underlie music performance, enabling each reader to apply the content flexibly to the task at hand. Following a brief review of the scientific method as a way of thinking about the issues and problems in music, the text addresses the nature–nurture problem, identification and assessment of musical aptitude, musical development, adult skill maintenance, technical and expressive skills, practice, interpretation and expressivity, sight-reading, memorization, creativity, and composition, performance anxiety, critical listening, and teaching and learning. While there is a large body of empirical research regarding music, most musicians lack the scientific training to interpret these studies. This text bridges this gap by relating these skills to the musician's experiences, addressing their needs directly with non-technical language and practical application. It includes multiple illustrations, brief music examples, cases, questions, and suggestions for further reading.
Wm. A. Little
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195394382
- eISBN:
- 9780199863556
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195394382.003.0002
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western, Performing Practice/Studies
This chapter details the life of Mendelssohn from 1820-38. It argues that consideration of Mendelssohn and the organ must proceed from the premise that, first and last, Mendelssohn was a secular ...
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This chapter details the life of Mendelssohn from 1820-38. It argues that consideration of Mendelssohn and the organ must proceed from the premise that, first and last, Mendelssohn was a secular musician. Unlike the great body of organists and organ composers of the past, Mendelssohn never held a regular church post anywhere. Haydn, Mozart, and even Beethoven had all at one time or another known the weekly routines and responsibilities of the church organist. Mendelssohn, on the other hand, remained exempt from such duties: In the first place he was financially independent and did not need the meager salary that most organists were paid. From early on, Mendelssohn's primary professional locus was the concert hall; by his early twenties he had already built an international reputation as a composer, conductor, and brilliant keyboard performer. Given the demands of his widespread musical activities, it would have been impossible for him to carry out the normal responsibilities of a church organist or cantor. Beyond the purely fiscal and social reasons that allowed him to avoid taking on a position as a church organist, there was also the question of temperament. Perhaps most important, he was simply not by nature religiously inclined in any traditional sense. He had grown up in a household that was resolutely secular in character, and it is consequently little wonder that he was left largely untouched by either Jewish or Protestant Christian theology.Less
This chapter details the life of Mendelssohn from 1820-38. It argues that consideration of Mendelssohn and the organ must proceed from the premise that, first and last, Mendelssohn was a secular musician. Unlike the great body of organists and organ composers of the past, Mendelssohn never held a regular church post anywhere. Haydn, Mozart, and even Beethoven had all at one time or another known the weekly routines and responsibilities of the church organist. Mendelssohn, on the other hand, remained exempt from such duties: In the first place he was financially independent and did not need the meager salary that most organists were paid. From early on, Mendelssohn's primary professional locus was the concert hall; by his early twenties he had already built an international reputation as a composer, conductor, and brilliant keyboard performer. Given the demands of his widespread musical activities, it would have been impossible for him to carry out the normal responsibilities of a church organist or cantor. Beyond the purely fiscal and social reasons that allowed him to avoid taking on a position as a church organist, there was also the question of temperament. Perhaps most important, he was simply not by nature religiously inclined in any traditional sense. He had grown up in a household that was resolutely secular in character, and it is consequently little wonder that he was left largely untouched by either Jewish or Protestant Christian theology.
Patrick Zuk and Marina Frolova-Walker (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780197266151
- eISBN:
- 9780191860034
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266151.001.0001
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
This volume of essays provides an overview of the transformation that the study of Russian music since 1917 has undergone since glasnost’, both in Russia itself and outside it. Prior to this, ...
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This volume of essays provides an overview of the transformation that the study of Russian music since 1917 has undergone since glasnost’, both in Russia itself and outside it. Prior to this, scholars on both sides of the Iron Curtain confronted formidable practical difficulties. In the USSR, the operation of strict censorship and ideological constraints seriously hindered the development of scholarship. In the West, ideological perspectives engendered by the Cold War hindered an objective appraisal of many aspects of Soviet cultural life. The changed climate of the post-Soviet period has obviated many of these difficulties, and acted as a powerful stimulus to the development and expansion of the discipline. The seventeen chapters are grouped under six thematic headings. Those in Part I explore the most conspicuous trends and changes in emphasis in recent scholarship, as well as assessing the extent to which pre-glasnost’ ideological perspectives continue to hinder progress. Part II focuses on reappraisals of Socialist Realism and other important topics pertaining to music and musical life of the Stalinist era. Part III examines the damaging effects of censorship on Soviet musicology, and Part IV on recent developments in Shostakovich studies, an area which has been the locus of particularly fierce controversies. Part V focuses on the Russian musical diaspora. The three essays in Part V are concerned with the ways in which the difficult transition to the post-Soviet era has affected Russian compositional activity.Less
This volume of essays provides an overview of the transformation that the study of Russian music since 1917 has undergone since glasnost’, both in Russia itself and outside it. Prior to this, scholars on both sides of the Iron Curtain confronted formidable practical difficulties. In the USSR, the operation of strict censorship and ideological constraints seriously hindered the development of scholarship. In the West, ideological perspectives engendered by the Cold War hindered an objective appraisal of many aspects of Soviet cultural life. The changed climate of the post-Soviet period has obviated many of these difficulties, and acted as a powerful stimulus to the development and expansion of the discipline. The seventeen chapters are grouped under six thematic headings. Those in Part I explore the most conspicuous trends and changes in emphasis in recent scholarship, as well as assessing the extent to which pre-glasnost’ ideological perspectives continue to hinder progress. Part II focuses on reappraisals of Socialist Realism and other important topics pertaining to music and musical life of the Stalinist era. Part III examines the damaging effects of censorship on Soviet musicology, and Part IV on recent developments in Shostakovich studies, an area which has been the locus of particularly fierce controversies. Part V focuses on the Russian musical diaspora. The three essays in Part V are concerned with the ways in which the difficult transition to the post-Soviet era has affected Russian compositional activity.
Peter J. Martin
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719072161
- eISBN:
- 9781781701492
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719072161.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Media Studies
This book explores the interface between musicological and sociological approaches to the analysis of music, and in doing so reveals the differing foundations of cultural studies and sociological ...
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This book explores the interface between musicological and sociological approaches to the analysis of music, and in doing so reveals the differing foundations of cultural studies and sociological perspectives more generally. Building on the arguments of his earlier book Sounds and society, the author initially contrasts text-based attempts to develop a ‘social’ analysis of music with sociological studies of musical activities in real cultural and institutional contexts. It is argued that the difficulties encountered by some of the ‘new’ musicologists in their efforts to introduce a social dimension to their work are often a result of their unfamiliarity with contemporary sociological discourse. Just as linguistic studies have moved from a concern with the meaning of words to a focus on how they are used, a sociological perspective directs our attention towards the ways in which the production and reception of music inevitably involve the collaborative activities of real people in particular times and places. The social meanings and significance of music, therefore, cannot be disclosed by analysis of the ‘texts’ alone, but only through the examination of the ways in which music is a constituent part of real social settings. This theme is developed through discussions of music in relation to processes of social stratification, the collaborative activities of improvising musicians, music as language, music as a ‘cultural object’ and music in everyday social situations.Less
This book explores the interface between musicological and sociological approaches to the analysis of music, and in doing so reveals the differing foundations of cultural studies and sociological perspectives more generally. Building on the arguments of his earlier book Sounds and society, the author initially contrasts text-based attempts to develop a ‘social’ analysis of music with sociological studies of musical activities in real cultural and institutional contexts. It is argued that the difficulties encountered by some of the ‘new’ musicologists in their efforts to introduce a social dimension to their work are often a result of their unfamiliarity with contemporary sociological discourse. Just as linguistic studies have moved from a concern with the meaning of words to a focus on how they are used, a sociological perspective directs our attention towards the ways in which the production and reception of music inevitably involve the collaborative activities of real people in particular times and places. The social meanings and significance of music, therefore, cannot be disclosed by analysis of the ‘texts’ alone, but only through the examination of the ways in which music is a constituent part of real social settings. This theme is developed through discussions of music in relation to processes of social stratification, the collaborative activities of improvising musicians, music as language, music as a ‘cultural object’ and music in everyday social situations.
Rachel Harris
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197262979
- eISBN:
- 9780191734717
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197262979.003.0004
- Subject:
- Music, Ethnomusicology, World Music
This chapter examines the types and functions of Sibe music. It provides biographical sketches of village musicians including Ga'altu of the Anjia clan, Guo Rongxing, and a certain Shoulintai. The ...
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This chapter examines the types and functions of Sibe music. It provides biographical sketches of village musicians including Ga'altu of the Anjia clan, Guo Rongxing, and a certain Shoulintai. The chapter highlights the social functions of songs and their role as vehicles of formalised expression of human relations in the Sibe community. It describes the songs and musical activities at weddings, funerals, and calendric festivals.Less
This chapter examines the types and functions of Sibe music. It provides biographical sketches of village musicians including Ga'altu of the Anjia clan, Guo Rongxing, and a certain Shoulintai. The chapter highlights the social functions of songs and their role as vehicles of formalised expression of human relations in the Sibe community. It describes the songs and musical activities at weddings, funerals, and calendric festivals.
Steven Huebner
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195189544
- eISBN:
- 9780199868476
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195189544.003.0017
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
This chapter focuses on Emmanuel Chabrier. It is shown that Chabrier may be considered among the ‘conquered’, not only by Tristan and Isolde but by Wagner's entire operatic oeuvre. The 1880 Munich ...
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This chapter focuses on Emmanuel Chabrier. It is shown that Chabrier may be considered among the ‘conquered’, not only by Tristan and Isolde but by Wagner's entire operatic oeuvre. The 1880 Munich Tristan seems to have been a pivotal moment in Chabrier's life because shortly after returning to Paris, he left his job at the Ministry to become a career musician. The road to the production of his opera, Gwendoline, is discussed.Less
This chapter focuses on Emmanuel Chabrier. It is shown that Chabrier may be considered among the ‘conquered’, not only by Tristan and Isolde but by Wagner's entire operatic oeuvre. The 1880 Munich Tristan seems to have been a pivotal moment in Chabrier's life because shortly after returning to Paris, he left his job at the Ministry to become a career musician. The road to the production of his opera, Gwendoline, is discussed.
Steven Huebner
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195189544
- eISBN:
- 9780199868476
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195189544.003.0020
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
This chapter focuses on Vincent d'Indy's ideas. It is shown that D'Indy's ideas, especially his acknowledgement of the importance of German music and his taste for German romantic art in general, ...
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This chapter focuses on Vincent d'Indy's ideas. It is shown that D'Indy's ideas, especially his acknowledgement of the importance of German music and his taste for German romantic art in general, resonated with the right-wing, Germanophile ideology articulated by Renan in La Réforme. D'Indy also implied that the trend initiated by Renaissance music, where pride fed on populist musical discourse, was exploited by Jews in the burgeoning mass-market economy of the 19th century.Less
This chapter focuses on Vincent d'Indy's ideas. It is shown that D'Indy's ideas, especially his acknowledgement of the importance of German music and his taste for German romantic art in general, resonated with the right-wing, Germanophile ideology articulated by Renan in La Réforme. D'Indy also implied that the trend initiated by Renaissance music, where pride fed on populist musical discourse, was exploited by Jews in the burgeoning mass-market economy of the 19th century.
R. Allen Lott
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195148831
- eISBN:
- 9780199869695
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195148831.003.0020
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
By the closing decades of the 19th century, the solo piano recital containing a survey of historical repertoire had won full acceptance, reflecting the increased view of music as edification rather ...
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By the closing decades of the 19th century, the solo piano recital containing a survey of historical repertoire had won full acceptance, reflecting the increased view of music as edification rather than entertainment. Although some writers have contended that the visiting virtuosos were more harmful than beneficial, earlier testimony is clear that at the time most Americans believed they were a beneficent phenomenon, awakening musical interest among a wide range of audiences and providing excellent models for students and aspiring professional musicians.Less
By the closing decades of the 19th century, the solo piano recital containing a survey of historical repertoire had won full acceptance, reflecting the increased view of music as edification rather than entertainment. Although some writers have contended that the visiting virtuosos were more harmful than beneficial, earlier testimony is clear that at the time most Americans believed they were a beneficent phenomenon, awakening musical interest among a wide range of audiences and providing excellent models for students and aspiring professional musicians.
Steve Reich
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195151152
- eISBN:
- 9780199850044
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195151152.003.0012
- Subject:
- Music, History, American
This chapter presents Reich's thoughts about his study of Balinese and African music. He studied Balinese and African music because he loved them, and also because he believed that non-Western music ...
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This chapter presents Reich's thoughts about his study of Balinese and African music. He studied Balinese and African music because he loved them, and also because he believed that non-Western music is presently the single most important source of new ideas for Western composers and musicians.Less
This chapter presents Reich's thoughts about his study of Balinese and African music. He studied Balinese and African music because he loved them, and also because he believed that non-Western music is presently the single most important source of new ideas for Western composers and musicians.
Steve Reich
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195151152
- eISBN:
- 9780199850044
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195151152.003.0021
- Subject:
- Music, History, American
This chapter presents a program note for the first performance at New York Town Hall on April 24, 1976. Music for 18 Musicians is approximately 55 minutes long. The first sketches were made for it in ...
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This chapter presents a program note for the first performance at New York Town Hall on April 24, 1976. Music for 18 Musicians is approximately 55 minutes long. The first sketches were made for it in May 1974 and it was completed in March 1976. Although its steady pulse and rhythmic energy relate to many of Reich's earlier works, its instrumentation, harmony, and structure are new.Less
This chapter presents a program note for the first performance at New York Town Hall on April 24, 1976. Music for 18 Musicians is approximately 55 minutes long. The first sketches were made for it in May 1974 and it was completed in March 1976. Although its steady pulse and rhythmic energy relate to many of Reich's earlier works, its instrumentation, harmony, and structure are new.
