ePub Best of Michael Buble Songbook by Michael Buble in Arts-Photography

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A Good Take on Adorno...but...By David EatonIve read several of Scrutons books and find him to be very enlightened in the realm of philosophy. In this book his critique of Adorno is very insightful and it alone is worth the price of the book. His view regarding aesthetics is another matter.Scruton has composed some; so hes not a complete novice when it comes to musical matters. However; his views of music on several key issues are questionable. He says; for instance; that "music does not move." Most musicians (of which I am one) will tell you quite the opposite. Because any performance of music goes from point A to point B; it certainly does move over time. We refer to "chord progressions" as such because there is a progression of harmonic events that occur over time. Rhythm is the subdivision of time over a linear time line. Harmonic rhythm is a primary aspect of most Western music.Also; he states that sound are events "which dont happen to do anything." Not true. Musical sounds (pitches) move airwaves in a vibratory fashion and thus activate; or "move" parts of our hearing apparatus (our ears). Whether air is being blown through a pipe; or a string is plucked or frictionized by a bow; or vocal chords are activated; something IS happening when we produce or encounter sound/music. Later he contradicts his "movement" premise saying (page 5) that we hear "a movement between tones; governed by a virtual causality that resides in a musical line." We perceive the sequential moment from on pitch to another because thats precisely what is taking place.Though; as Scruton avers; sound "can be identified without referring to any object which participates in them;" we do identify with musical sounds and our ears make distinctions with regard to intonation; timbre; dynamics; etc. A clarinet sounds different that a violin; and different violins (or voices) have distinctly different tonal properties. No two voices possess exactly the same tonal properties and even an untrained ear can identify difference of the tonal characteristic of Frank Sinatra or Mick Jagger.With regard to expression in music; Scruton cites Hanslick and Stravinsky who opined that music is essentially powerless to "express" anything. Stravinsky later rescinded his opinion and spoke of how; in the opening of his "Rite of Spring" we wished to "express" (his term) the awakening of nature and the primal energy of the creative impulse. The same piece of music can "mean" or evoke difference responses from different people. Though an isolated pitch event may not convey or evoke an emotional response; a series of pitch events; whether melodic or harmonic; surely can. Felix Mendelssohn stated that; "The thoughts which are expressed to me by music that I love are not too indefinite to be put into words; but on the contrary; too definite." This would indicate musical expression (or rather; the ability of music evoke an emotional response) is a very real phenomenon---perhaps not fully explainable; but definitely real.I generally liked this book but had issues with some of Scrutons contentions.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. The mystery of music revealedBy J. Victor TomaszekI have often been frustrated by not being able to articulate just what music is. Words fail me with such an emotional topic. It was nice to know that it is not simple to define or explain and deals with both philosophical concepts and personal taste and interpretations. This book is an excellent; deeply thought out analysis of our universal love and need of music.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy RickExcellent book; as long as youre thoroughly familiar with music.