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Books > Music > General
The relationship between Romanticism and film remains one of the
most neglected topics in film theory and history, with analysis
often focusing on the proto-cinematic significance of Richard
Wagner’s music-dramas. One new and interesting way of examining
this relationship is by looking beyond Wagner, and developing a
concept of audio-visual explanation rooted in Romantic
philosophical aesthetics, and employing it in the analysis of film
discourse and representation. Using this concept of audio-visual
explanation, the cultural image of the Hungarian pianist and
composer Franz Liszt, a contemporary of Wagner and another
significant practitioner of Romantic audio-visual aesthetics, is
examined in reference to specific case studies, including the
rarely-explored films Song Without End (1960) and Lisztomania
(1975). This multifaceted study of film discourse and
representation employs Liszt as a guiding-thread, structuring a
general exploration of the concept of Romanticism and its
relationship with film more generally. This exploration is
supported by new theories of representation based on schematic
cognition, the philosophy of explanation, and the
recently-developed film theory of Jacques Rancière. Individual
chapters address the historical background of audio-visual
explanation in Romantic philosophical aesthetics, Liszt’s role in
the historical discourses of film and film music, and various
filmic representations of Liszt and his compositions. Throughout
these investigations, Will Kitchen explores the various ways that
films explain, or ‘make sense’ of things, through a
‘Romantic’ aesthetic combination of sound and vision.
This book describes the remarkable culture of jeliya, a musical and
verbal art from the Manding region of West Africa. Using an
embodied practice as her methodology, the author reveals how she
and her music teachers live "in between" local and global cultures.
Her journey spans 20 years of fieldwork presented through personal
and intimate stories, first as a student of the balafon instrument,
then as a patron of the music. Tensions build in both the music and
in social relations that require resolutions, underscoring the
differences between two world views. Through balafon lessons, the
author embodies values such as patience, courage, and generosity,
resulting in a transformative practice that leads her to better
understand her position vis-a-vis that of her jeli teachers.
Meanwhile, jeliya itself, despite having been transmitted from
teacher to student for 800 years, is currently in peril. Jelis cite
modern globalized culture and people like the author herself as
both a source of the problem as well as the potential solution.
One of the major frustrations of my professional musical life has
been the continual reminder of how few talented young string
players, even those with exceptional instrumental skill, seem to
truly understand the importance of reflecting their very own
personal emotional experiences within the fabric of their musical
interpretations and performances. Consequently I have devoted a
great deal of my teaching efforts to helping these potential
artists better understand the critical importance of this element
and to develop the skills necessary to facilitate the natural
merging of their inner-most emotions with their instrumental
facility. My original purpose for authoring this book was to create
a lasting way in which to share my resulting theories and
methodologies with regards to this ever so critical ingredient to
the process of successful musical communication. Interestingly,
after a reasonable amount of academic research, it quickly became
apparent to me that in spite of the existence of numerous available
publications dealing with the need for musicians to play their
instruments in an expressive manner... and a myriad of additional
books and articles attempting to describe and analyze the elements
of "sensuality" ...no one had previously made any detailed
connection or addressed, in writing, the impact of "sensuality" on
music performance from either a technical or musical perspective.
Now that this project is complete I must agree with the opinion of
a number of my trusted colleagues and friends: "many theories,
concepts and methods described in this book could indeed provide
benefits to a far broader audience than those exclusively focused
on string playing."I am hopeful that performers from all of the
arts as well as any interested and receptive individuals from all
walks of life may find the thoughts I have expressed in this
publication helpful in achieving the lives of their dreams.
Alan Rawsthorne was a British composer, film scorer, music
editor, author, and radio talk show presenter. At the heart of his
musical contribution was a unique blend of European and English
20th-century techniques which concentrated on instrumental rather
than vocal music. While most of this volume is dedicated to
Rawsthorne's original musical works, the reader's attention is also
drawn to his articles, radio talks, and arrangements of works of
other composers. His disposition placed his career in the
background of others who were more public; his preference was to
write music for its own sake rather than for notoriety and monetary
gain. Through the guiding direction of other composers and radio
leadership personnel, Rawsthorne created music for the next age as
much as for his current time.
This bibliography is comprised of a listing of all known works
(completed and uncompleted), premieres and selected other
performances (highlighting venues, dates, and performers' names), a
discography of both commercially available discs and archival tapes
and discs, a 1500-item annotated set of citations of reviews,
sections of books, articles and the like regarding the works,
Rawsthorne's life and recordings, five appendices (song cycle and
multi-section works components, alphabetical works list, Manchester
manuscript collection details, chronological works list, works of
other composers dedicated to Rawsthorne) and a 25-page index to the
book.
" THE MIGHTY KUCHKA " Teen prodigy NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV is
brought by his piano teacher to the home of composer and music
instructor MILI BALAKRIEV (antagonist) who recognizes the talent of
the young man immediately. Mili's quest is to intentionally deprive
his pupils of the musical knowledge of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and
Europeans in order that his circle of composers would write pure
Russian Music without outside influence. After a tour with the
Russian Navy to New York City, Rio de Janerio a few Mediterranean
ports, Nikolai returns to St. Petersburg as a mature Naval Officer
and rejoins Mili's circle of five composers which include MODEST
MOUSSORGSKY, ALEXANDER BORODIN and CAESAR CUI. After awhile,
Modest, Alexander and Nikolai realize they have been categorized as
pupils by Mili and feel a certain coolness as they grow more
independent. Nicolai has written his first two symphonies. Nikolai
falls in love with NADEZHDA a talented pianist, they get married
and travel to many romantic spots in Europe on their honeymoon.
Nadezhda is a wonderful influence on Nikolai's music. PETER
TCHAIKOVSKI becomes their friend and visits the couple occasionally
when in St. Petersburg. One day Nadezhda sees Nikolai in tears
claiming "Everything I have composed is wrong " "I have wasted my
life with Mili Balakriev." Nikolai realizes that he has been
deprived of the knowledge of the European Masters. Nikolai feeling
betrayed suffers a complete nervous breakdown. . .. Peter
Tchaikovski credits Nadzhda with nursing Nikolai back to health.
Now stronger than ever he completes more than 20 Operas. The
Suites, Sheherazade, Easter Overture, Capriccio Espagnol are on
repertoires around the world. Nikolai teaches his own group of
pupils which include the younger ALEXANDER GLAZANOV and IGOR
STRAVINSKY. See Other Books By This Author and when finished, Click
here to return to www.JPRoach.org
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Music, Dance, Anthropology
(Hardcover)
Stephen Cottrell; Contributions by John Baily, Peter Cooke, Ann R. David, Catherine E Foley, …
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Discovery Miles 21 590
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This volume celebrates the significant resurgence of interest in
the anthropology of music and dance in recent decades. Traversing a
range of fascinating topics,from the reassessment of historical
figures such as Katherine Dunham and John Blacking, to the
contemporary salience of sonic conflict between Islamic Uyghur and
the Han Chinese, the essays within Music, Dance, Anthropology make
a strong argument for the continued importance of the work of
ethnomusicologists and ethnochoreologists, and of their ongoing
recourse to anthropological theories and practices. Case studies
are offered from areas as diverse as Central Africa,Ireland,
Greece, Uganda and Central Asia, and illuminate core
anthropological concepts such as the nature of embodied knowledge,
the role of citizenship, ritual practices, and the construction of
individual and group identities via a range of ethnographic
methodologies. These include the consideration of soundscapes, the
use of ethnographic filmmaking, and a reflection on the importance
of close cultural engagement over many years. Taken together these
contributions show the study of music and dance practices to be
essential to any rounded study of social activity, in whatever
context it is found. For as this volume consistently demonstrates,
the performance of music and dance is always about more than just
the performance of music and dance. Contributors: John Baily; Peter
Cooke; Ann R. David; Catherine E. Foley; Andree Grau; Rachel
Harris; Maria Koutsouba; Jerome Lewis; Barley Norton; Carole Pegg;
Martin Stokes.
Facing the Music investigates the practices and ideas that have
grown from some five decades of cultural diversity in music
education, developments in ethnomusicology, and the rise of 'world
music'. Speaking from rich, hands-on experience of more than thirty
years at various levels of music education (music in schools,
community organizations and professional training courses), Huib
Schippers makes a powerful case for the crucial role of learning
music in shaping rich and diverse musical environments for the 21st
century, both in practical terms and at a conceptual level: "what
we hear is the product of what we believe about music."
Advocating a contemporary, positive and realistic approach to
cultural diversity in music education and transmission, Schippers
advocates taking into account and celebrating the natural dynamics
of music. He argues that "most music travels remarkably well," and
regards every musical act as an expression of the 'here and now',
as do many of the musicians and scholars he quotes. In this way, he
challenges stifling directives to recreate 'authentic contexts',
which in fact constantly change (and have always changed) in the
cultures of origin as well. This liberates music educators to seek
with integrity appropriate ways of presenting music at all levels
of education: in schools, community settings, and professional
training.
In seven succinct chapters that each approach the issues from a
different angle, Schippers gradually unfolds the complexities of
learning and teaching music 'out of context' in an accessible
manner, and presents a coherent model to approach these, as well as
lucid suggestions for translating the resulting ideas in practice.
While mapping the various factors that determine all acts of music
transmission, he also comes to surprising insights into the nature
and preconceptions underlying much formal music education settings
across the world, including those focusing on western classical
music.
Facing the Music provides a rich resource for reflection and
practice for all those involved in teaching and learning music,
from policy maker to classroom teacher.
This book gathers a set of works highlighting significant advances
in the areas of music and sound. They report on innovative music
technologies, acoustics, findings in musicology, new perspectives
and techniques for composition, sound design and sound synthesis,
and methods for music education and therapy. Further, they cover
interesting topics at the intersection between music and computing,
design and social sciences. Chapters are based on extended and
revised versions of the best papers presented during the 6th and
7th editions of EIMAD-Meeting of Research in Music, Arts and
Design, held in 2020 and 2021, respectively, at the School of
Applied Arts in Castelo Branco, Portugal. All in all, this book
provides music researchers, educators and professionals with
authoritative information about new trends and techniques, and a
source of inspiration for future research, practical developments,
and for establishing collaboration between experts from different
fields.
The Inside Songs of Amiri Baraka examines the full length of
Baraka's discography as a poet recording with musicians as well as
his contributions to jazz and R & B, beginning with his
earliest studio recordings in 1965 and continuing to the last year
of his life, 2014. This recorded history traces his evolution from
the era of Beat poetry and "projective verse," through the period
of the Black Arts Movement and cultural nationalism, and on to his
commitments to "third world Marxism," which characterized the last
decades of his life. The music enfolding Baraka's recitations
ranges from traditional African drumming, to doo wop, rhythm and
blues, soul and the avant garde jazz that was his great love and
the subject of so much of his writing, and includes both in-studio
sessions and live concert performances. This body of work offers a
rare opportunity to think about not only jazz/poetry, but the poet
in the recording studio and the relations of text to score.
This book reviews the current practices of traditional musics in
various cultures of all continents, and examines the impact and
significance of traditional musics in the modern world. A diverse
group of experts of musicology and music education collaborate to
expose the current practices and challenges of transmission and
evolution of traditional musics in order to seek sustainable
development, so that traditional musics can take the place they
deserve in the modern world and continue to contribute to human
civilization. This volume contains three main sections that include
transmission of traditional musics, authenticity and evolution, as
well as challenges in future. Based on the chapters, the editor
proposes four major trends of transmission of traditional musics,
namely, formalization, politicization, Westernization and
modernization in transforming contexts.
This book offers an in-depth analysis of Janelle Monae's Dirty
Computer, an Afrofuturist project that appeared simultaneously as a
concept album and a visual album or "emotion picture" in spring
2018. In the previous decade, Janelle Monae has developed into a
global media personality who effortlessly unites speculative
world-building with social and political activism. Across the
intersecting album and film that together make up Dirty Computer,
Monae brings together the science-fictional themes that informed
her previous work, resulting in a powerfully focused artistic and
political statement. While the music on the album can be enjoyed as
an accessible collection of pop tracks, the accompanying film,
music videos, and media paratexts add layers of meaning that
combine speculative world-building with anti-racist activism. This
unique convergence of energies, ideas, and media platforms has made
Dirty Computer a new classic of Afrofuturist science fiction.
Set in the turbulent South in the 1950s, Memphis is the story of
Huey Calhoun, a white radio DJ whose love of good music transcends
race lines and airwaves. Thanks in part to his passionate
persistence, "race" music reaches the center of the radio dial,
quickly exploding throughout mainstream America. But when Huey
falls for a beautiful black singer he has set on the path to
stardom, whether the world is really ready for this music, and
their love, is put to the test.
This is the first book to comprehensively cover all of the
Australian piano music of the 20th century. It is lavishly
illustrated with over 300 music examples, giving a very clear
picture of the various composers and styles. The composers are
listed within various historical and stylistic blocks as well as
within consideration of their own pianistic prowess. The large
number of scores will help future researchers as well as recording
and concert pianists who are searching for new and exciting
repertoire. This is an invaluable book certain to appeal to music
lovers, the professional musician and amateur, and students. In
fact, anyone interested in the piano and its historical evolution
will appreciate this volume.
If you enjoy great music but want to know more about how it came to
be the way it is - without investing time in a graduate degree -
here are the background stories of over 200 great compositions. If
you're only just coming to experiment with great music, here are
guideposts to help you understand and enjoy what you encounter. The
stories and sounds behind the scenes: welcome to Classical Music
Insights.
Despite John Lennon's immense popularity, little attention has been
paid to his work apart from the Beatles. Yet his solo artistry not
only illuminates what he gave to the Beatles, but also constitutes
a significant contribution to popular music in general. Lennon was
able to fuse experiments in technology, instrumentation, lyrics,
and musical form into recordings that were both artistically and
commercially successful. Few singer-songwriters have been his
equal. In this long overdue investigation, authors Ben Urish and
Ken Bielen give Lennon's artistry the opportunity to speak for
itself. After a brief biographical introduction, chronologically
arranged chapters discuss his incredible body of work
album-by-album and single-by-single. A discography and annotated
bibliography conclude the book. Despite John Lennon's immense
popularity, little attention has been paid to the overall efforts
of his work apart from the Beatles. Yet his solo artistry not only
illuminates what he gave to the Beatles (and what the Beatles
experience gave to him), but also constitutes a significant
contribution to popular music in general. Lennon was able to fuse
experiments in technology, instrumentation, lyrics, and musical
form into recordings that were both artistically and commercially
successful. Whether expressing emotions, explaining philosophies,
protesting social situations, or ruminating on the joys and pains
of personal entanglements, few singer-songwriters have been his
equal. In this long overdue investigation, authors Ben Urish and
Ken Bielen give Lennon's artistry the opportunity to speak for
itself. After a brief biographical introduction, chronologically
arranged chapters discuss his incredible body of work
album-by-album and single-by-single. A discography and annotated
bibliography conclude the book. Although he is often lauded as a
spokesperson for his generation, this praise, however intended, is
far too limiting. Lennon was able to transform the intensely
personal into the deeply universal (as well as the reverse), often
with humor and pointed insight. At their core, his songs are
simultaneously humanistic and transcendent. And as such, they-and
he-continue to be relevant, and will certainly remain a valuable
part of our cultural heritage for a long time to come.
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