Thursday, October 25, 2007

This review set my ear's mind reeling

If you have the time, and you'll need a lot of it, read this hefty review by Richard Taruskin that is in the current issue of The New Republic.
"What draws listeners to music--not just to classical music, but to any music-- is what cannot be paraphrased: the stuff that sets your voice a-humming, your toes a-tapping, your mind's ear ringing, your ear's mind reeling. And that is not the kind of response anyone's books can instill. It is picked up, like language, from exposure and reproduction, which eventually lead to internalization."
I think it is time to head to the library and take a serious look at The Oxford History of Music.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Elaine,

I've started a discussion on the Tarusking piece over at Holde Kunst. I recommend MUCH of Taruskin's writing. He is the master. But I can't condone his over-the-top meanness in this book review and plan to spend the next few days telling everyone why. The Shostakovich book, though, is wonderful.