Writing Through Music : Essays on Music, Culture, and Politics

Drawing on a passion for music, a remarkably diverse interdisciplinary toolbox, and a gift for accessible language that speaks equally to scholars and the general public, Jann Pasler invites us to read as she writes "through" music, unveiling the forces that affect our sonic encounters. In an extraordinary collection of historical and critical essays, some appearing for the first time in English, Pasler deconstructs the social, moral, and political preoccupations lurking behind aesthetic taste. Arguing that learning from musical experience is vital to our understanding of past, present, and future, Pasler's work trenchantly reasserts the role of music as a crucial contributor to important public debates about who we can be as individuals, communities, and nations. The author's wide-ranging and perceptive approaches to musical biography and history challenge us to rethink our assumptions about important cultural and philosophical issues including national identity and postmodern musical hybridity, material culture, the economics of power, and the relationship between classical and popular music. Her work uncovers the self-fashioning of modernists such as Vincent d'Indy, Augusta Holmes, Jean Cocteau, and John Cage, and addresses categories such as race, gender, and class in the early 20th century in ways that resonate with experiences today. She also explores how music uses time and constructs narrative. Pasler's innovative and influential methodological approaches, such as her notion of "question-spaces," open up the complex cultural and political networks in which music participates. This provides us with the reasons and tools to engage with music in fresh and exciting ways. In these thoughtful essays, music--whether beautiful or cacophonous, reassuring or seemingly incomprehensible--comes alive as a bearer of ideas and practices that offers deep insights into how we negotiate the world. Here, Jann Pasler's Writing through Music brilliantly demonstrates how music can be a critical lens to focus the contemporary critical, cultural, historical, and social issues of our time. Drawing On A Passion For Music And A Diverse Interdisciplinary Toolbox, Jann Pasler Invites Us To Read As She Writes Through Music, Unveiling The Forces That Affect Our Sonic Encounters. In A Collection Of Historical And Critical Essays, Some Appearing For The First Time In English, Pasler Deconstructs The Social, Moral, And Political Preoccupations Lurking Behind Aesthetic Taste. Arguing That Learning From Musical Experience Is Vital To Our Understanding Of Past, Present, And Future, Pasler's Work Trenchantly Reasserts The Role Of Music As A Crucial Contributor To Important Public Debates About Who We Can Be As Individuals, Communities, And Nations. The Author's Approaches To Musical Biography And History Challenge Us To Rethink Our Assumptions About Important Cultural Issues Including National Identity And Postmodern Musical Hybridity, Material Culture, The Economics Of Power, And The Relationship Between Classical And Popular Music. Her Work Uncovers The Self-fashioning Of Modernists Such As Vincent D'indy, Augusta Holmes, Jean Cocteau, And John Cage, And Addresses Categories Such As Race, Gender, And Class In The Early Twentieth Century In Ways That Resonate With Experiences Today. She Also Explores How Music Uses Time And Constructs Narrative. In These Essays, Music - Whether Beautiful Or Cacophonous, Reassuring Or Seemingly Incomprehensible - Comes Alive As A Bearer Of Ideas And That Offers Insights Into How We Negotiate The World.--jacket. Time, Narrative, And Memory. Narrative And Narrativity In Music ; Postmodernism, Narrativity, And The Art Of Memory ; Resituating The Spectral Revolution : French Antecedents -- Self-fashioning. Deconstructing D'indy, Or The Problem Of A Composer's Reputation ; New Music As Confrontation : The Musical Sources Of Cocteau's Identity ; Inventing A Tradition : John Cage's Composition In Retrospect -- Identity And Nation. Pelléas And Power : Forces Behind The Reception Of Debussy's Opera ; The Ironies Of Gender, Or Virility And Politics In The Music Of Augusta Holmès ; Race, Orientalism, And Distinction In The Wake Of The Yellow Peril -- Patrons And Patronage. Countess Greffulhe As Entrepreneur : Negotiating Class, Gender, And Nation ; The Political Economy Of Composition In The American University, 1965-1985 -- The Everyday Life Of The Past. Concert Programs And Their Narratives As Emblems Of Ideology ; Material Culture And Postmodern Positivism : Rethinking The Popular In Late Nineteenth-century French Music. Jann Pasler ; With A Foreword By George Lewis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents......Page 14 Foreword......Page 8 Introduction......Page 18 Part I. TIME, NARRATIVE, AND MEMORY......Page 38 1. Narrative and Narrativity in Music......Page 40 2. Postmodernism, Narrativity, and the Art of Memory......Page 64 3. Resituating the Spectral Revolution: French Antecedents......Page 97 Part II. SELF-FASHIONING......Page 114 4. Deconstructing d'Indy, or the Problem of a Composer's Reputation......Page 116 5. New Music as Confrontation: The Musical Sources of Cocteau's Identity......Page 155 6. Inventing a Tradition: John Cage's ''Composition in Retrospect''......Page 177 Part III. IDENTITY AND NATION......Page 194 7. Pelléas and Power: Forces behind the Reception of Debussy's Opera......Page 196 8. The Ironies of Gender, or Virility and Politics in the Music of Augusta Holmès......Page 228 9. Race, Orientalism, and Distinction in the Wake of the ''Yellow Peril''......Page 264 Part IV. PATRONS AND PATRONAGE......Page 298 10. Countess Greffulhe as Entrepreneur: Negotiating Class, Gender, and Nation......Page 300 11. The Political Economy of Composition in the American University, 1965–1985......Page 333 Part V. THE EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE PAST......Page 378 12. Concert Programs and Their Narratives as Emblems of Ideology......Page 380 13. Material Culture and Postmodern Positivism: Rethinking the ''Popular'' in Late Nineteenth-Century French Music......Page 432 Appendix 1. Definitions of Terminology Used in Chapter 1......Page 466 Appendix 2. Public Performances and Publications of Music by Augusta Holmès......Page 469 Appendix 3. Relationship between NEA Support and Composers' Educational Background......Page 474 Appendix 4. Relationship between NEA Support and Composers' Institutional Affiliation......Page 483 Appendix 5. Educational Background and Institutional Affiliation of Most Frequent NEA Panelists......Page 495 Appendix 6. Winners of Largest NEA Composer Grants Each Year, 1973–1985......Page 499 A......Page 506 B......Page 507 C......Page 508 D......Page 511 F......Page 512 G......Page 514 H......Page 515 I......Page 516 L......Page 517 M......Page 518 N......Page 519 O......Page 520 P......Page 521 R......Page 522 S......Page 523 T......Page 526 W......Page 527 Z......Page 528 Drawing on a passion for music, a remarkably diverse interdisciplinary toolbox, and a gift for accessible language that speaks equally to scholars and the general public, Jann Pasler invites us to read as she writes'through'music, unveiling the forces that affect our sonic encounters. In an extraordinary collection of historical and critical essays, some appearing for the first time in English, Pasler deconstructs the social, moral, and political preoccupations lurking behind aesthetic taste. Arguing that learning from musical experience is vital to our understanding of past, present, and future, Pasler's work trenchantly reasserts the role of music as a crucial contributor to important public debates about who we can be as individuals, communities, and nations. The author's wide-ranging and perceptive approaches to musical biography and history challenge us to rethink our assumptions about important cultural and philosophical issues including national identity and postmodern musical hybridity, material culture, the economics of power, and the relationship between classical and popular music. Her work uncovers the self-fashioning of modernists such as Vincent d'Indy, Augusta Holmès, Jean Cocteau, and John Cage, and addresses categories such as race, gender, and class in the early 20th century in ways that resonate with experiences today. She also explores how music uses time and constructs narrative. Pasler's innovative and influential methodological approaches, such as her notion of'question-spaces,'open up the complex cultural and political networks in which music participates. This provides us with the reasons and tools to engage with music in fresh and exciting ways. In these thoughtful essays, music--whether beautiful or cacophonous, reassuring or seemingly incomprehensible--comes alive as a bearer of ideas and practices that offers deep insights into how we negotiate the world. Jann Pasler's Writing through Music brilliantly demonstrates how music can be a critical lens to focus the contemporary critical, cultural, historical, and social issues of our time. List of Illustrations. List of Musical Examples. Introduction. I. Time, Narrative, and Memory. 1. Narrative and Narrativity in Music. 2. Postmodernism, Narrativity, and the Art of Memory. 3. Resituating the Spectral Revolution: French Antecedents. II. Self-Fashioning. 4. Deconstructing d'Indy, or the Problem of a Composer's Reputation. 5. New Music as Confrontation: the Musical Sources of Cocteau's Identity. 6. Inventing a tradition: John Cage's Composition in Retrospect. III. Identity and Nation. 7. Pelleas and Power: Forces behind the Reception of Debussy's Opera. 8. The Ironies of Gender, o.