Gertrude Stein and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead were unlikely friends who spent most of their mature lives in exile: Stein in France and Whitehead in the United States. Their friendship was based on a mutual admiration for the philosophical pragmatism of William James and skepticism toward the European tradition of intellectual abstraction extending as far back as Plato and Aristotle. Though neither was musical; both were leading exponents of a new orientation toward time and knowledge acquisition that would go on to influence succeeding generations of composers. Through Virgil Thomson; Stein came to influence John Cage and the New York school of abstract music; through his teaching in the United States; Whiteheadrsquo;s philosophy of time and cognition came to be seen in America and abroad as an alternative to Newtonian neoclassicism; an alternative clearly acknowledged in the metric modulations of Elliott Carter and Conlon Nancarrow as well as the post-1950 total serialism of Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen.The seemingly unlikely influence of Stein and Whitehead on Thomson; Cage; Carter; and the minimalists tells a remarkable story of transmission within and among the arts and philosophy; one that Robin Maconie unravels through his series of essays in Avant Garde: An American Odyssey from Gertrude Stein to Pierre Boulez. Maconie explores; from Hollywood to Harvard; the way in which music functions as a form of communication across the boundaries of language; serving the causes of trade and diplomacy through its representation of national identity; emotional character; honorable intention; and social discipline. The study of music as a language inevitably became the object of information science after World War II; but; as Maconie notes; 60 years on; musicrsquo;s refusal to yield to scientific elucidation has generated a stream of anti-music propaganda by a powerful collective of celebrity science writers. In a sequence of linked essays; Stockhausen specialist Robin Maconie reconsiders the role of music and music technology through careful examination of key modern concepts with respect to time; existence; identity; and relationship as formulated by such thinkers as Einstein; Russell; Whitehead; and Stein; along with Freud; Schoenberg; Wittgenstein; and Marcel Duchamp.This foray into art; music; science; and philosophy is ideally suited for students and scholars of these disciplines; as well as those seeking to understand more deeply the influence these individuals had on one anotherrsquo;s work and modern music.
2014-09-18 2014-09-18File Name: B00NPYZ4AY
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Worth its weight in goldBy mflewisThis book has almost single handedly changed my approach to jazz improvisation. Mark does an excellent job of conveying the concepts in a straight forward simple way without all the scientific verbosity and convoluted theoretical jargon often found in other texts.Its highly recommended for aspiring jazz students. I often refer to it from time to time.3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Clear Practical ConciseBy G. ConnerMusic theory can be a confusing subject; especially for improvising musicians. This book clears that confusion and is perhaps the most practical tome on the subject I have ever seen.Although it is primarily for pianists; the melodic examples apply to all instruments.As a guitarist; I benefited greatly from Ted Greens books; even more from personal lessons with him. Teds works are wonderful; but are mostly "instrument specific" books. This book is really about "harmony" ( the useful part of "music theory") so it applies to ALL instruments. Even if you are a guitarist; or play any monophonic instrument; you will get MANY ideas from this book.Mark Levine ( the author) is obviously a person of experience and this work demonstrates his practical understanding of music theory as it is really used by professional musicians. He provides many examples from Jazz-Standards that illustrate each idea. He wastes no time justifying statements or elaborating esoteric BS. Every page uncovers a world of practice possibilities; yet; the organization of the books chapters makes progress seem smooth; almost effortless.You must be able to read music ( at least a little ) to get the most from this volume. However; even some of my students who do not read at all have benefitted from reading it.Practice is the key. Knowledge is nothing without practice. If for no other reason than Marks practical advice on HOW to practice; this book is worth the money.I recently purchased another copy of this book for a student who had to quit taking lessons because she had a baby. The service I got from was fast. The book arrived in perfect condition.After re-reading the book; I am almost shocked at how much of my theory-teaching style is borrowed from this book. Even after twenty years of using the information here; I still get something useful every time I open it.This is a truly GREAT work on the subject. This will be the fifth copy I have purchased and gifted to others. I cannot recommend it highly enough.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Jazz Piano Book Rocks!By QuinkinIm still working my way through this book -- but so far am learning a lot and am really glad I made the purchase. I like it so much that I bought both the paper and electronic (ebook) versions.
