![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Book Review
Jul. 9th, 2014 10:00 pmWhat to Listen for in Music (Revised Edition)
by Aaron Copland
I found this book very interesting, and thought it said more about its author than its subject, at least for me. Copland provides explanations of and thoughts on all the main elements of and aspects of music: melody, rhythm, harmony, and formal structure, plus some additional special topics like opera, film music, and contemporary music. Copland's aim is to help the non-musician become a better, more sophisticated listener, so none of the information was news to me. However, I often found his take on it interesting and occasionally illuminating. The only downside was that Copland is very much a man of the mid twentieth century - he adheres strongly to a very evolutionary view of music, is often a little ethnocentric, and uses language such that you would think the only time women are professionally involved with music is when someone needs a soprano.
Nonetheless, What to Listen for in Music is a very good read. Copland really knows his stuff and has some great insights into things. His prose flows well and strikes the right balance between straightforward and poetic, technical and non-technical. He is extremely successful in his aim, too - this is a great introduction to how to approach classical music for serious listeners.
by Aaron Copland
I found this book very interesting, and thought it said more about its author than its subject, at least for me. Copland provides explanations of and thoughts on all the main elements of and aspects of music: melody, rhythm, harmony, and formal structure, plus some additional special topics like opera, film music, and contemporary music. Copland's aim is to help the non-musician become a better, more sophisticated listener, so none of the information was news to me. However, I often found his take on it interesting and occasionally illuminating. The only downside was that Copland is very much a man of the mid twentieth century - he adheres strongly to a very evolutionary view of music, is often a little ethnocentric, and uses language such that you would think the only time women are professionally involved with music is when someone needs a soprano.
Nonetheless, What to Listen for in Music is a very good read. Copland really knows his stuff and has some great insights into things. His prose flows well and strikes the right balance between straightforward and poetic, technical and non-technical. He is extremely successful in his aim, too - this is a great introduction to how to approach classical music for serious listeners.
