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Book Review
Aug. 4th, 2008 09:15 pmThe Rest Is Noise
by Alex Ross
This recent book is a history of 20th century music, and it's an extremely good one. Ross ties musical developments and trends to social and political history, with especially interesting chapters on music as it existed under and was effected by Stalinism and fascism. Ross is not exhaustive or completionist in his coverage of composers and pieces, preferring to center his chapters around a small, more select group. However, I think this is a decisive strength in that it allows Ross to give a more focused view of each era and movement. It also allows Ross to tell a compelling set of stories about music in the 20th century. The writing is very enjoyable and even entertaining. The book also has a near-perfect balance between historical narrative, (non-technical) musical analysis, and personal information about the composers under discussion.
by Alex Ross
This recent book is a history of 20th century music, and it's an extremely good one. Ross ties musical developments and trends to social and political history, with especially interesting chapters on music as it existed under and was effected by Stalinism and fascism. Ross is not exhaustive or completionist in his coverage of composers and pieces, preferring to center his chapters around a small, more select group. However, I think this is a decisive strength in that it allows Ross to give a more focused view of each era and movement. It also allows Ross to tell a compelling set of stories about music in the 20th century. The writing is very enjoyable and even entertaining. The book also has a near-perfect balance between historical narrative, (non-technical) musical analysis, and personal information about the composers under discussion.
