Book Review
Jul. 27th, 2012 11:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariCelestial Sirens: Nuns and Their Music in Early Modern Milan
by Robert L. Kendrick
Goods:
This book covers a very fascinating subject and sheds light on aspects of women's music making that don't get very much discussion in general music history texts. The composers and performers discussed are obscure but not inferior, and it was great to get to read about them and their world.
The examination of the public social and theological meanings of nuns' musical activities was fascinating. Nun's music making, particularly their vocal performance, was seen as presaging the singing of angelic choirs in heaven. Nuns were also seen as important and potent intercessors, and music was a very important aspect of this. There's also an interesting way in which nuns' music was equated with food and sustenance - I wish this had been delved into a bit more.
The institutional and ecclesiastic history aspects were good, too. Kendrick includes a lot of useful information on the development and regulation of convents and their music at the time.
Bads:
Celestial Sirens is intensely academic. It's clearly written for other scholars or people with extensive music educations. It seems more like it was written for researchers rather than readers. It can also be kind of dense and dry for long stretches.
I'm not sure the organization of the information was really effective. The socio-historical sections could have been better integrated with the discussions of the music itself. There wasn't enough of a sense of flow.
I would have liked more discussion of how sexism may have effected the perception of these women and their music, especially as it may pertain to their propagation, preservation, and rediscovery.
Overall, I liked the book, even if it was more for the subject matter and information it contained than for the reading experience.
by Robert L. Kendrick
Goods:
This book covers a very fascinating subject and sheds light on aspects of women's music making that don't get very much discussion in general music history texts. The composers and performers discussed are obscure but not inferior, and it was great to get to read about them and their world.
The examination of the public social and theological meanings of nuns' musical activities was fascinating. Nun's music making, particularly their vocal performance, was seen as presaging the singing of angelic choirs in heaven. Nuns were also seen as important and potent intercessors, and music was a very important aspect of this. There's also an interesting way in which nuns' music was equated with food and sustenance - I wish this had been delved into a bit more.
The institutional and ecclesiastic history aspects were good, too. Kendrick includes a lot of useful information on the development and regulation of convents and their music at the time.
Bads:
Celestial Sirens is intensely academic. It's clearly written for other scholars or people with extensive music educations. It seems more like it was written for researchers rather than readers. It can also be kind of dense and dry for long stretches.
I'm not sure the organization of the information was really effective. The socio-historical sections could have been better integrated with the discussions of the music itself. There wasn't enough of a sense of flow.
I would have liked more discussion of how sexism may have effected the perception of these women and their music, especially as it may pertain to their propagation, preservation, and rediscovery.
Overall, I liked the book, even if it was more for the subject matter and information it contained than for the reading experience.
