Hugo Riemann and the Birth of Modern Musical Thought (New Perspectives in Music History and Criticism, Series Number 11)

Generally Acknowledged As The Most Important German Musicologist Of His Age, Hugo Riemann (1849-1919) Shaped The Ideas Of Generations Of Music Scholars, Not Least Because His Work Coincided With The Institutionalisation Of Academic Musicology Around The Turn Of The Last Century. This Influence, However, Belies The Contentious Idea At The Heart Of His Musical Thought, An Idea He Defended For Most Of His Career - Harmonic Dualism. By Situating Riemann's Musical Thought Within Turn-of-the-century Discourses About The Natural Sciences, German Nationhood And Modern Technology, This Book Reconstructs The Cultural Context In Which Riemann's Ideas Not Only 'made Sense' But Advanced An Understanding Of The Tonal Tradition As Both Natural And German. Riemann's Musical Thought - From His Considerations Of Acoustical Properties To His Aesthetic And Music-historical Views - Thus Regains The Coherence And Cultural Urgency That It Once Possessed.--jacket. Riemann's Moonshine Experiment -- The Responsibilities Of Nineteenth-century Music Theory -- Riemann's Musical Logic And The 'as If' -- Musical Syntax, Nationhood And Universality -- Beethoven's Deafness And Tone Imaginations. Alexander Rehding. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 199-211) And Index. Hugo Riemann (1849-1919) is generally acknowledged as the most important musicologist of his age. By analyzing his musical thought within the turn-of-the-century context of interest in the natural sciences, German nationhood and modern technology, this book reconstructs how Riemann's ideas not only "made sense" but advanced a belief of the tonal tradition as both natural and German. Riemann influenced the ideas of generations of music scholars because his work coincided with the institutionalization of academic musicology around the turn of the last century. Frontmatter Acknowledgements (page ix) Introduction (page 1) 1 Hugo Riemann's moonshine experiment (page 15) 2 The responsibilities of nineteenth-century music theory (page 36) 3 Riemann's musical logic and the 'As if' (page 67) 4 Musical syntax, nationhood and universality (page 113) 5 Beethoven's deafness, exotic harmonies and tone imaginations (page 162) Epilogue (page 182) Glossary: Riemann's key terms as explained in the Musik-Lexikon (5th edn, 1900) (page 186) Bibliography (page 199) Index (page 212) During a silent night in 1875, the young musicologist Hugo Riemann struck a key on his grand piano.