Musica Practica :The Social Practice of Western Music from Gregorian Chant to Postmodernism
Musica Practica :The Social Practice of Western Music from Gregorian Chant to Postmodernism
paperback
Published:
17 October, 1994
paperback
Published:
17 October, 1994
Standard worldwide delivery by
Mon, July 20 - Thu, July 23
Order within
0
Popular Books by Michael Chanan
View All Books by Michael Chanan
Description
Musica Practica is a historical investigation into the social practice of Western music which advances an alternative approach to that of established musicology. Citing evidence from Barthes, Nietzsche, Bakhtin, Max Weber and Schoenberg, Michael Chanan explores the communal roots of the musical tradition and the effects of notation on creative and performing practice. He appraises the psychological wellsprings of music using the insights of linguistics, semiotics and psychoanalysis. Tracing the growth of musical printing and the creation of a market for the printed score, he examines the transformation of patronage with the demise of the ancien régime, and draws on little-known texts by Marx to analyze the formation of the musical economy in the nineteenth century.
Chanan sketches out an unwritten history of musical instruments as technology, from Tutankhamen's trumpets to the piano, the ancient Greek water organ to the digital synthesizer. The book concludes with reflections on the rise of modernism and the dissolution of the European tradition in a sea of postmodernism and "world music."
Musica Practica assumes no specialist knowledge of music beyond an ordinary familiarity with common terms and an average acquaintance with the music of different styles and periods. It is a fascinating commentary on the soundtrack of daily life in the metropolis of the late twentieth century.
Chanan sketches out an unwritten history of musical instruments as technology, from Tutankhamen's trumpets to the piano, the ancient Greek water organ to the digital synthesizer. The book concludes with reflections on the rise of modernism and the dissolution of the European tradition in a sea of postmodernism and "world music."
Musica Practica assumes no specialist knowledge of music beyond an ordinary familiarity with common terms and an average acquaintance with the music of different styles and periods. It is a fascinating commentary on the soundtrack of daily life in the metropolis of the late twentieth century.
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9781859840054 |
| ISBN10 | 1859840051 |
| Number Of Pages | 322 |
| Item Weight | 494 g |
| Product Dimensions | 157 x 234 x 17 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | Verso Books |
| Format | paperback |
See More +
GoodReads Reviews
Author's Bio
Michael Chanan is a filmmaker, writer and teacher. He has written books on various aspects of film and music, including Repeated Takes, The Dream that Kicks and The Cuban Image.