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Absolute Music, Mechanical Reproduction

Online ISBN:
9780520945692
Print ISBN:
9780520264793
Publisher:
University of California Press
Book

Absolute Music, Mechanical Reproduction

Published:
7 June 2010
Online ISBN:
9780520945692
Print ISBN:
9780520264793
Publisher:
University of California Press

Abstract

Recordings are now the primary way we hear classical music, especially the more abstract styles of “absolute” instrumental music. This book argues that recording technology has transformed our understanding of art music. Contesting the laments of nostalgic critics, the author sees recordings as socially progressive and instruments of a musical vernacular, but also finds that recording and absolute music actually involve similar notions of removing sound from context. He takes stock of technology's impact on classical music, addressing the questions at the heart of the issue. This study reveals how mechanical reproduction has transformed classical musical culture and the very act of listening, breaking down aesthetic and generational barriers and mixing classical music into the soundtrack of everyday life.

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