In this Book
- Absolute Music, Mechanical Reproduction
- Book
- 2010
- Published by: University of California Press
summary
Recordings are now the primary way we hear classical music, especially the more abstract styles of "absolute" instrumental music. In this original, provocative book, Arved Ashby argues that recording technology has transformed our understanding of art music. Contesting the laments of nostalgic critics, Ashby sees recordings as socially progressive and instruments of a musical vernacular, but also finds that recording and absolute music actually involve similar notions of removing sound from context. He takes stock of technology's impact on classical music, addressing the questions at the heart of the issue. This erudite yet concise study reveals how mechanical reproduction has transformed classical musical culture and the very act of listening, breaking down aesthetic and generational barriers and mixing classical music into the soundtrack of everyday life.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- List of Illustrations
- pp. ix-x
- Acknowledgments
- pp. xi-xii
- Introduction
- pp. 1-26
- 1. The Recorded Musical Text
- pp. 27-59
- 4. Digital Mythologies
- pp. 123-161
- 5. Beethoven and the iPod Nation
- pp. 162-193
- 6. Photo/phono/porno
- pp. 194-220
- 7. Mahler as Imagist
- pp. 221-252
- Selected Bibliography
- pp. 299-308
- Production Notes
- p. 333
Additional Information
ISBN
9780520945692
Related ISBN(s)
9780520264809
MARC Record
OCLC
655853281
Pages
336
Launched on MUSE
2014-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No