| Contents |
I. History. Mainwaring's Handel: its relation to British aesthetics ; Herbert Spencer and a musical dispute -- II. Opera and film. Handel's operas: the form of feeling and the problem of appreciation ; Anti-Semitism in Meistersinger? ; Speech, song, and the transparency of medium: on operatic metaphysics ; Music in the movies: a philosophical inquiry -- III. Performance. On the historically informed performance ; Ars perfecta: toward perfection in musical performance? -- IV. Interpretation. Another go at the meaning of music: Koopman, Davies, and the meaning of "meaning" ; Another go at musical profundity: Stephen Davies and the game of chess ; From ideology to music: Leonard Meyer's theory of style change ; Sibley's last paper ; In defense of musical representation: music, representation, and the hybrid arts ; Music, language, and cognition: which doesn't belong? |
| Abstract |
This is the third collection of the author's seminal papers in the philosophy of music. In essays which span his earliest work in the field and his more recent contributions to journals, anthologies, and conference proceedings, he considers the origin of music, the medium of expression in opera, the role of music in film, the nature of an 'ideal' performance, and the question of whether absolute music has a meaning, among other issues. Rich with critical analysis and informed by the history of both philosophy and music, this volume will be of interest to anyone who likes not only to listen to music, but to think about it as well. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 233-237) and index. |
| LCCN | 2007003066 |
| ISBN | 0199217661 (hbk. : alk. paper) |
| ISBN | 0199217653 (pbk. : alk. paper) |
| ISBN | 9780199217663 (hbk. : alk. paper) |
| ISBN | 9780199217656 (pbk. : alk. paper) |
