This important and controversial book has come to be regarded as a modern classic. Originally published in 1959, it has exerted a profound influence on all subsequent discussion in the field of musical aesthetics. The author's thesis is that the main characteristic of music is to express and evoke emotion, and that all composers whose music has a tonal basis have used the same, or closely similar, melodic phrases, harmonies, and rhythms to express and evoke the same emotions. He supports this view with numerous musical examples, varying from plainsong to Stravinsky. Based on this evidence he argues that music is a language in the quite specific sense that idioms can be identified and a list of meanings compiled. While acknowledging that a 'dictionary' of the language of music cannot easily be provided, he attempts to supply what could at least be regarded as a 'phrase book'. The enlightening analysis of two complete symphonies by Mozart and Vaughan Williams demonstrates the expressive function of musical form, the latter being an element which the author considers inseparable from musical content.
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The author's thesis is that the main characteristic of music is to express and evoke emotion and that all composers whose music has a tonal basis have used the same, or closely similar, melodic phrases, harmonies, and rhythms to express and evoke the same emotions.
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What kind of an art is music?; the elements of musical expression; some basic terms of musical vocabulary; the process of musical communication; the large-scale functioning of musical language.
One of the most important publications of post-war English musicography...its honesty, its individualism, and its empiricism reflect the best intellectual traditions of English literature. * Music and Letters *
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780198161806
Publisert
1989
Utgiver
Vendor
Clarendon Press
Vekt
413 gr
Høyde
216 mm
Bredde
138 mm
Dybde
19 mm
Aldersnivå
06, P
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
304

Forfatter