Book Description
With nearly three million copies sold over eight editions, The Enjoyment of Music is the best-selling music appreciation text of all time. Spanning the Middle Ages through the twenty-first century, the text offers a thorough introduction to the elements of music, a broad overview of the history of musical styles, and fascinating cultural contexts and perspectives. The Ninth Edition of this classic text features a stunning new design, exciting new repertory, and an unmatched ancillary and media package.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but older editions are better............2007-05-06
I really appreciated the older editions of this book and thought the language was clear and understandable. I still think these aspects of the book are good, however, I am disappointed at the content. I agree with other reviewers who have suggested that the work should be broken into two books -- one on modern music and another on classic music. It just doesn't make any sense to skip major composers and I feel this one size fits all approach misses the mark in this regard.
On the other hand, the book is well-written and has been well-received over its many years and editions. Some reviewers point to an overly politically correct stance, which I believe has some validity. Including minor women composers at the expense of major male composers is not politically correct, it is an inexcusable error. On the other hand, excluding women's contribution to the musical literature completely or leaving out a major woman composer is also an error. I am guessing that a chapter on the cultural issues around women and music with an overview of women composers that are largely unknown or underrated would have better served the target audience.
Textbooks are EXTREMELY expensive and after so many editions, I think this one should be a homerun. Unfortunately, it is now good, but not great. If you don't like this one, you may want to try Music: An Appreciation w/ Multimedia Companion 4.5 CD-ROM. This is done by a concert pianist and does justice to the major composers.
While I am not currently a professional musician, I was for 11 years and I continue to take lessons from a concert pianist. I play a variety of instruments and I've been studying music since before I could read. As such, I think I am in a good position to evaluate the merits of this text. It is still very worthwhile, but I hope they do better in the next edition. Another book worth considering is What to Listen for in Music and Music, The Brain, And Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination. The former book, gives you an inside look at music through the eyes of a composer and the second is a wonderful and entertaining journey through understanding sound and how music produces pleasure from a psychological and biological viewpoint. Both books are very readable by non-musicians and laypersons without a background of any type. The second book is one that I read in two sittings.... AWESOME! I have reviewed both, if you want more details.
If you are also looking to understand some music theory, try Harmony and Theory: A Comprehensive Source for All Musicians (Essential Concepts (Musicians Institute).). This is a great short introduction to music theory and harmony as it relates to modern music. If you are musical at all, you will find that this covers a lot of ground in a short space.
Buying the Book Online.......2007-02-07
This isn't a review about the work of the book but about ordering it online for people who might be nervous about buying this product online. I bought it for a college course. The bookstore wanted to charge me $50 downtown. I bought it online for about $25, including standard shipping. I was nervous that the book wouldn't make it here on time and I also wondered if it really would be the correct book. The book was shipping in 3 business days (5 days) which was faster than I thought. It was more than a great price, it was said to be in "good condition" and it was in great condition and it was the correct book!
The book itself is easy to understand and follow. I enjoy reading it and it has a lot of up to date information that makes it all the more interesting.
Response to "a reader" and "music teacher".......2006-07-20
After having gone through nine editions, this text bears little resemblence to the original work published in 1955. That text, and the next few editions, were solid and informative. With the addition of co-author Kristine Forney, the work has definitely taken on a more modern perspective at the unfortunate expense of truly great composers.
Having been a serious student of music in earlier life, and a constant listener since birth, I have an avid appreciation of most genres of music. Having said that, I firmly believe the study of music appreciation should remain somewhat "high-brow". By this I mean that it should limit itself to what is considered, in common parlance, as "classical" or "orchestral" music.
Modern genres of music do display moments of true musical genius and originality. But, for the most part, the majority of the material is borrowed, ultimately from the "classical." Most popular musicians have little knowledge of musical composition, or even how to record their works in musical notation. Rap and electronic are the ultimate in this area, many times outright recording a piece of someone else's music and blending the cuts together to produce their own "song."
If one seriously wants to develop an appreciation of music, a solid exposure to and understanding of the "classical" composers is a must. Otherwise, as is the case with most modern and post-modern (whatever that means) teaching materials, a true understanding of the origins, history, and development of the subject is lost. Herbie Hancock and Michael Jackson may be interesting and enjoyable, but they are hardly groundbreaking from a musical perspective.
The authors should separate the "classical" from the "modern" into two texts. Both studies would greatly benefit. After all, with the proliferation of college students downloading music and playing it on every device that can produce a sound, does anyone really think students do not have an appreciation of "modern" music?
Excellent History of Music!!!.......2006-05-12
This is an excellent book to read and study music from. It lays out the history of music in a very understandable manner for an average person. The timeline of music consisting of such musical eras as the medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, post-romantic, impressionism, early twentieth century and later twentieth century is very enlightening. It's all there from folk to jazz to ragtime and swing. The great composers would have loved to read this one. By the way, poets, make your feast on the history of the Troubadours, Trobairitz, Trouveres and Minnesingers poet-musicians from the middle ages from France and Germany. This is really an interesting book to read regarding music. It's truly educational. Also check "Trilogy Moments for the Miond, Body and Soul" with a new selection of Epulaeryu poems.
Responding to "a reader".......2006-04-09
In response to "a reader's" review, Holst and Orff did not contribute to the larger schema of music history. Although a work like "Carmina Burana" is significant only because it's been rehashed over in dramatic parts of a film, it has little value in terms of delineating trends in music. I only partially agree with his/her assessment of J.-de-la-Guerre because her work is used more to show a common example of highly ornamented French harpsichord music, rather than the composer herself. This is a well-organized book, giving a survey (keyword: SURVEY) of Western music, which means that if you want to learn about Elgar, read a book on him.
Book Description
No background or training in music? No problem. This shorter version of WORLDS OF MUSIC: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MUSIC OF THE WORLD'S PEOPLES is written to make music accessible. Using the case-study approach, the text presents in-depth explorations of music of several cultures from around the world. The authors all ethnomusicologists working in their fields of expertise base their discussions of music-cultures on their own fieldwork and give you a true sense of both the music and culture that created it. Two CDs accompany every copy of the book and cover a wide range of music-cultures, including authentic recordings from the authors' fieldwork. Leading off is the long-standing jewel in the Worlds of Music crown - James Koetting's magnificent recording of postal workers canceling stamps at the University of Ghana post office. A Western-sounding hymn tune performed against African rhythms, this piece, more that any other, lets you hear contrasting music-cultures.
Customer Reviews:
Good Book!!!!.......2007-09-21
The book is interesting and the CDs that accompany the book are perfect with the reading!
Good book for your Music Class.......2007-03-11
I have enjoyed this book a lot. It really goes into the world's music cultures in detail. The CD that comes with the book has some very interesting listens on it.
Overall, an interesting book if you have to get it for your World Music class, as I did.
Expensive, yet very useful.......2006-07-28
I don't mean to take the same words of the reviewer Nicholas H. Canale, but he's right. Worlds of Music is an excellent book containing two CDs to introduce you to the music of the world and its relation to the culture the music is found in.
The book contains an introduction which explains musical terms to non-musical people. From there, you're on your own to understand the how these terms apply to odd music cultures. Hopefully you will have a great professor or musically-inclined friend to help you out. Nevertheless, the authors all have Ph.D's in ethnomusicology (or a similar subject) and are very good at presenting information.
The book does indeed cost a pretty penny, but its well worth it. Then again, worth doesn't mean much if you're taking a 'World Music' class at college and don't have a choice. Even still, the situation isn't bleak - the audio examples are great, and you're bound to enjoy at least one foreign music you never considered worth your time before reading Worlds of Music.
Costly but damn interesting!.......2005-10-10
My opinion is this is def. not worth the money. It is a very interesting text, but not worth the amount the writers set out to get.
Average customer rating:
- Unfortunate Revision
- review of Programmed Course in MusicTheory by J. Clough
- Great for homeschool moms with some music background.
- Still the best programmed music theory text
- A very good book
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Scales, Intervals, Keys, Triads, Rhythm, and Meter: A Programmed Course in Elementary Music Theory, With an Introduction to Partwriting, Third Edition ... (Norton Programmed Texts in Music Theory)
John Clough ,
Joyce Conley , and
Claire Boge
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
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Basic Harmonic Progressions: A Self-Instruction Program (Norton Programed Texts in Music Theory.)
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ASIN: 0393973697 |
Book Description
Following in the footsteps of its successful predecessor, this new edition introduces the basic tenets of music theory and partwriting skills. A new design features visually striking pedagogical aids, allowing students to progress through ever-more challenging exercises at their own pace or to dip into the text at any point to brush up on specific skills. The authors have retained the self-instructional format of the previous two editions, with tests at the end of each part, while adding new quizzes at the end of each set and a cumulative test for Parts One through Six. Numerous examples from the music literature-a new feature of this edition-reinforce the theoretical concepts covered in each set; an appended study anthology of ten complete pieces allows students to see how individual concepts are woven into the fabric of a composition. The companion CD, keyed to specific frames in each set, provides immediate aural reinforcement.
Customer Reviews:
Unfortunate Revision.......2007-02-28
The previous edition of this book was set up in such a manner that the pages on the left side of the book were upside down. You would work through the book one way and then flip it over to work through the other way. Since you use a little card to cover up the answers on one side of the page it made it very easy to work quickly and drill yourself without revealing the answers until you needed them.
This edition while retaining the division of the page between answers and questions puts the instructions and information on the full page and is printed 'normally'. It takes a great deal more effort than the last edition to situate the card over the answers and you are constantly forced to remove it to read the instructions. A quick glance is all that is needed to come to ruin questions for drills. Also you have to write along the middle hump of the book which was not necessary in the previous revision due to everything being on the right side of the right page.
I am disappointed that they changed such a useful book and made it so cumbersome and poorly thought out. I would recommend tracking down a used (but unmarked) copy of the last edition as none of the information has really changed inside the book.
review of Programmed Course in MusicTheory by J. Clough.......2005-08-03
The information is laid out in a nice step-wise way. Repititions make it easy to assimilate the material. I am confident that working my way through the material will help me understand the music that I enjoy playing.
Great for homeschool moms with some music background........2004-07-07
I have a degree in music performance and have used this book successfully many times with my fellow homeschool moms and their kids. In private lessons and in more formal group settings this book has been most helpful, even with those who have had no musical background at all. Children from age 10 to 18 have learned the lessons from *cover to cover* with weekly instruction over the course of a year with me.
Additionally, once the lessons were completed we moved into sight-singing and ear training books (also from the Norton editions) and early part-writing. I feel that this book is actually better organized than the texts used in the theory classes at my conservatory (it was published after I graduated). There are some typos in the text and I would prefer that the answers were not quite so readily accessible(you might feel differently though), but other than that, I highly recommend this text.
Still the best programmed music theory text.......2002-01-28
The latest edition of this book has lost much of the classical simplicity and directness that made the previous editions so successful. Ugly icons crowd the page, statements are watered down, but still the text is far clearer than the other popular programmed text by Harder & Steinke. A student considering entering a conservatory or music school would be well prepared having worked through this book.
I'm dissapointed to see Norton's changes, and the increase in price, but I still recommend this text--it still is the best self-instruction program out there.
A very good book.......2001-01-26
I bought this book to brush up on my theory before returning to school for a 2nd undergrad degree in music, and I think it's helpful for three reasons. First, I've made it through the first 4 parts with relative ease, but I've also picked up enough tidbits of information to make it really useful. (I always knew how to play a major triad but never thought of the fact that it's made up of two 3rds, a major under a minor, or that a minor chord is a minor under a major.) Second, it is forcing me to memorize things like key signatures for minor keys, which I used to figure out by thinking of the relative major key. (That takes enough extra time to make it awkward at an audition.) Finally, it is a workbook, so you are expected to write the answers right in the book. It helps me to remember when I have to take the time to write the answer down, rather than just thinking of it. I haven't complete the entire book yet, but I know I'm just getting into the things I don't know!
All in all it is helping me to combine my practical performance knowledge with the reasons "why". I'm sure that understanding will lead to better performances.
Book Description
The latest addition to the successful Norton Introduction to Music History series. This new book offers a comprehensive view of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century music in Europe. Through his vibrant prose and generous illustrations, Atlas transports readers into the musical world of the Renaissance.
Customer Reviews:
Good but dated.......2007-01-10
Everything is fantastic, except the De Prez info is outdated because the book was published in 1998-much has been discovered.
Idiosyncratic, iconoclastic text is alternately brilliant and frustrating.......2006-01-02
I am of two minds about Dr. Allan Atlas' iconoclastic text, "Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe, 1400-1600." On the one hand, I enjoyed Atlas' personal and eminently readable prose. He infuses the tome with witty observations, thought-provoking opinions, and offbeat vocabulary. How many textbooks have you read that use adjectives like "country-bumpkinish" or "huggable"?
On the other hand, I believe that Atlas has boxed himself into a corner with his adamant effort to avoid the "great composers" approach. As a result, his organization becomes idiosyncratic and occasionally haphazard. Atlas invariably begins focusing on a particular composer while discussing a genre, and then finds himself forced to summarize the composer's life (sometimes as an afterthought). He interrupts the text proper with historical interludes (Intermedios) and chapters on translation, but their presence can be distracting rather than illuminating. Just as he seems ready to make a relevant point or observation, he switches subjects or just stops altogether (the analysis of Dufay's belongings at the time of his death is one example).
This textbook almost requires the purchase of the companion anthology, "Anthology of Renaissance Music (Norton Introduction to Music History)." Atlas frequently cites works presented in the anthology; without it, the reader may become lost. When Atlas does present a score in the text rather than the anthology, he usually presents only excerpts (as he does with Josquin's "Nymphes des bois" or Willaert's "Aspro core e selvaggio e cruda voglia"). This can make it difficult to follow the score while listening to the music, unless the reader has impeccable timing.
Finally, Atlas' presentation of instrumental music suffers in comparison to his comprehensive discussion of vocal works. He almost completely ignores lute music, admitting he discusses it "only in passing" at one point - even though other scholars estimate that lute music accounted for a majority of 16th century instrumental scores.
Despite these considerable complaints, "Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe" is a worthwhile and much-needed addition to the Renaissance music literature. An astute professor (like the one I had for a recent course in "Music of the Renaissance") should be able to cherry-pick Atlas' text for the highlights and take advantage of this sporadically brilliant volume.
A fun read.......2005-08-13
Atlas's book on Renaissance music is a joy to read. It is full of information, but there are the ocassional witty remarks, which helps lighten the tone.
His analysis of pieces is helpful and fascinating, but he also makes sure all of this detail is contextualized in the major changes in Western Europe during the time (the rise of humanism, other arts, changes in politics, the Reformation). It presents a great general history.
Always the historian, Atlas applies historiographical methods to show too how our conceptions of the music and the Renaissance as a whole has changed over time. He also develops how frame of reference can affect the way one interprets the music and the history (for example when talking about Spain, he points to how the music of 1492 was celebratory, but hid a sort of nasty events of Jews and Muslims expulsion and the Inquisition).
If you love Renaissance Music or you want to learn about it, then read this book.
Wonderful book.......2001-10-16
This book, in a nutshell, is amazing. Atlas doesn't shy away from using sometimes-familiar language, empathizing with the reader and clearly explaining all major topics. It is very detailed but well-organized, and the musical examples are beautifully chosen. Additionally, the book is aesthetically pleasure -- it has lots of nice illustrations.
The anthology, which is sold as a separate book, is almost a must-have, since Atlas discusses most if not all works contained with it. (Also, it's a well-chosen anthology, and worth adding to your library.)
Therefore, if you like Renaissance music and want to learn more, or if you know a little about it and enjoy reading academic textbooks, this is the book for you.
Indispensable.......2000-08-14
This book is indispensable for every one, student or amateur, interested in Renaissance music. Clear and understable, with many examples (in this book and in the anthology companion), Pr. Allan W. Atlas book presents music in the historical, geographical, political and artistic context which produced it. In addition to excellent presentation of composers, musical forms (mass, motet, chanson, instrumental music) and many works, pedagogical exercices are real introductions to research : how to edit a Busnoys chanson, how to understand payrolls. Moreover, Pr Atlas asks readers about the opportunity of adding a sharp, understanding contemporary earwitness texts. The epilogue is about what is generally the introduction : is there any unity in what musicologists call Renaissance music (1400-1600)?
Average customer rating:
- Students Do Not Purchase
- Great book, but a bit dry.
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Introduction to Jazz History, Sixth Edition
Donald D. Megill , and
Richard S. Demory
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
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Binding: Paperback
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Moment's Notice: Jazz in Poetry & Prose
ASIN: 0131829203 |
Book Description
This classic chronological survey of jazz history brings the various historical styles to life by exploring them through the lives of the musicians and a study of their recordings.
KEY TOPICS An eight-part organization covers THE BLUES;PIANO STYLES—1890-1940; NEW ORLEANS JAZZ AND DIXIELAND—1910-1940; SWING—1934-1945; BEBOP—1943-1960; THIRD STREAM, COOL, AND BEYOND—1949- ; FREE JAZZ—1960- ; and JAZZ/ROCK FUSION—1968- . For jazz lovers.
Customer Reviews:
Students Do Not Purchase.......2006-01-19
Are you a student taking a course that requires this book? If yes, do not purchase - this is not the book you need. The book mentioned on Amazon appears to have the CD but it's not included.
Search the web for Introduction to Jazz History, by Megill with CDs or ISBN# 0131829319 (just the CDs), ISBN# 0131061895 (book and CDs) - this information is per Peirce College.
About the book itself - very well written and appears to be the start of an excellent class.
Great book, but a bit dry........2005-09-06
There is a good reason this book is used as a text in several jazz and music history classes. This book is THE place to go if you want a definitive look at the roots of jazz music and how it has evolved. The only problems with it are that it is a bit on the dry side (hence it being used as a textbook) and that it claims it is supposed to come with a companion CD, yet did not come with one when I ordered it. If you are wanting to learn about jazz music, this book is necessary!
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Ngoma;: An introduction to music for southern Africans
Hugh Tracey
Manufacturer: Longmans, Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: B000116FKC |
Average customer rating:
- A very basic introduction to art therapy
- too much history, not enough substance
- a lot of info but not well-organized
- FINALLY, THE BOOK WE NEED AND WANT
- Book didn't sell me on art therapy
|
Art Therapy: An Introduction (Basic Principles Into Practice Series)
Judith Rubin
Manufacturer: Brunner/Mazel
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0876308973 |
Book Description
Art therapy has grown so fast in the last few decades that it has barely been able to keep up with itself. Most books in the field have represented the author's interpretations of practicing art therapy. As art therapy continues to grow - not only in psychology but in other relevant fields - an overview of the field is needed. This introduction to art therapy. Art Therapy: An Introduction broadly outlines the history and current state of the field, the mechanics and techniques used and the ethics and responsibilities of this therapeutic strategy.
This survey of the field of art therapy is the first of its kind. Students, teachers, counselors, social workers, practitioners and others will benefit from the information presented in this book. In addition, the author provides pictures showing examples of artwork from children and adults as well as pictures of art therapists in action.
Customer Reviews:
A very basic introduction to art therapy.......2007-06-14
I bought this book for a class on the history of art therapy. Although the book does provide some interesting insights, I found Rubin's writing style frustrating. Her approach is based on her perception of what is important, rather than presenting the information in a reader-friendly format. Additionally, she does not follow the APA style, which I also found frustrating. However, she did pull together some interesting facts about the field, as well as some illuminating historical references and case studies. Rubin does believe strongly in the power of this type of treatment, and her passion is evident in her writing. Although this book may not be the best to just pick up and read, it does provide a general overview of the field that some may find useful.
too much history, not enough substance.......2004-01-02
I was misled by the title of this book. By some stretch of the word, it could be an introduction. But it is more like a rambling exploration of the history of the field of art therapy that jumps from person to person, often with only one sentence about each person. The chapters promise information on many ideas but none is covered in any meaningful way. And I certainly did not get a positive impression of art therapy from this book. In fact, it seems like a field that does not have a clear definition or the author could not come up with one. As a clinical social worker I was hoping for some more practical and less reference-oriented. This book reads like a dictionary, so if you are looking for something like that, it is the book you want.
a lot of info but not well-organized.......2002-07-31
I guess I disagree with the previous reviewer on this book. I found it very confusing and disorganized in its content. It was not a very clear introduction to art therapy and the examples presented were not very helpful regarding what art therapists really do. The beginning is very historical and that was not really of interest to someone like me who wants to know what art therapy is. Maybe art therapy is a lot of history and it is hard to describe to others. I believe the author was sincere, but there is actually too much information presented in this book. If the author were a little more selective, the average reader might find this book more helpful.
I agree that this book is well-referenced, but for a lay reader it is over referenced. Almost every other sentence is a reference and many of the references are to material that is not published. I am wondering if art therapy is an unpublished field because the author uses a lot of these types of references. I found that very distracting and it did not help the clarity of this book.
This book would probably be best for art therapists who understand the various dimensions of their field. But for those who want to know in a readable manner what art therapy is and what art therapists do, this is not that book.
FINALLY, THE BOOK WE NEED AND WANT.......2002-07-09
Being an old-timer in the field, I need no "introduction". But this book I find I both NEED and WANT.
I NEED it because it explains art therapy to the general public and students in the field better than any other book I know. I wish it had been around for the last 30 years when I was teaching graduate students in a dozen schools around the country. It brings the field to life!
I know of no other book that documents so much information about art therapy. Nobody I know has such a command of the source material in the field.
I WANT it for an assortment of reasons.
For one thing, it is never dry or ponderous - as its vast scholarship might suggest. She writes conversationally, making even the most complex ideas easily accessible to the lay person, the prospective or beginning student...charming and delighting old-timers like me.
Her format of small subject headings and bold type to emphasize essentials makes it easy to skim and shortcut. This beomes, then, a useful SOURCE BOOK for those trying to get a quick overview of the field.
She attributes ideas and writings widely, to everyone in the field who has made contributions. This is a GENEROUS book.
She is modest, witty and very proactical too. Fo those considering entering the field, here is an HONEST PICTURE of what problems as well as rewards are in store.
Who should read it? First off, people who want to know more about the field as well as students. And for people like me, or practitioners already working as art therapists, this is the book we need to have in our libraries.
Also I think it should be in counselors' offices in every art school, high school and especially college in the country. People don't know a great deal about this field, and school counselors will find no better SOURCE BOOK to help their students.
Interested practitioners in other fields will find useful chapters on Assessment, various Approaches, and the work going on with a variety of people in many different places: medical fields, crisis work, community institutions, and so on. It also discusses multimodality approaches (e.g. music, dance, drama & art).
Here are vivid stories and photos showing us how art therapy ACTUALLY WORKS.
Book didn't sell me on art therapy.......2000-01-22
The author may be a good writer, but this book did not sell me on the idea of art therapy. I read it and still wondered, what is art therapy? I agree with the first reviewer who said it is a great reference listing. But I enjoyed The Art Therapy Sourcebook more and would recommend that book if you want to know more about art therapy. It gave me a better idea of what art therapy is and how it is done.
Customer Reviews:
best overview of the century.......2001-05-12
Morgan's book is the best that I have found for an overview of the entire 20th century in "classical" music. He divides his analysis into 3 logical sections:
Part 1. Beyond Tonality: From 1900 to World War I
Part 2. Reconstruction and New Systems: Between the Wars
Part 3. Innovation and Fragmentation: From WWII to the Present
This allows for some nuance that a simple list of composers often misses. For instance, Schoenberg's "atonal revolution" is covered in Part 1, along with the "new tonalities" of Stravinsky and Bartok. Part 2 covers the origin of the "twelve-tone system," but makes clear that it did not become influential until years later with the "serial revolution" in France, led by Messiaen and Boulez, in Part 3.
As others have noted, Morgan is not as strong on the more recent period, partly because the book was published in 1991 and thus misses such phenomena as Schnittke's surge of popularity, especially in Russia and Europe, after the collapse of the Soviet regime. I recommend two other books along with Morgan: 1) Gann's "American Music in the Twentieth-Century," which covers developments in the U.S. in greater detail, thus including for instance one of my favorites, Roger Reynolds, and 2) Griffiths' masterful "Modern Music and After," which begins after the Second World War.
Not Completely Comprehensive.......1999-12-12
This is a very good book, but it only covers the first three-quarters of the century. Minimalism is the latest movement that it really covers comprehensively. After that, most composers recieve only two or three lines of text. This is, of course, understandable, given when the book was written. Just be warned that more recent developments in music are often ignored or not given the attention they deserve. Also, it should be noted that the book generally restricts itself to "classical" music. Jazz and Free Improvisation, despite being arguably the most vital and truly revolutionary forces in music of the first 2/3 and last 1/3 of the century, respectively, are mentioned only in passing if at all.
The History of Modern Music for The Layman.......1997-03-15
As we end the 20th century, we may not realize that 20th
century music covers the same time span as the 19th
century Romantic music period. Have we grasped the meaning
of modern music. To do this one needs to understand the
history as well as the dynamics of 20th century music.
Here is a book that fills the bill. Not only does Mr. Morgan
discuss the growth and change in 20th century music but he
does it in it's historical context of our maturing as a
world. For many the atonality of 20th century music is hard
to grasp, especially when concert artists and orchestras
continue to emphasize in their repatoire 19th century music. But as the world changes so will music. A book to awaken your interest in 20th century music and the composers who were the leaders of this period.
Book Description
This market-leading, best-selling book covers ethnomusicology-the study of music in a people's way of life, which treats music as a distillation of cultural styles. The authors of this book approach diverse musical styles with the desire to understand them on their own terms-as the people who make the music would understand them. The book is organized by region. Each study focuses on the life histories and autobiographies that are essential to understanding music as a human activity. Song lyrics are singled out by the authors as a way to understand the meaning and purpose of musical performances. Musical examples, or transcriptions, are included on the accompanying CDs, and are treated throughout as points of departure for discussion. Readers music-making projects-singing, building and playing instruments-greatly increase music appreciation and allow readers to experience firsthand what it's like to be an ethnomusicologist puzzling out unfamiliar music. This book seeks to provide as much pleasure as knowledge, fostering lifelong curiosity and a desire to experience and appreciate music in all its forms.
Customer Reviews:
A decent text.......2004-11-06
While the text book is informative and enlightening on many of the aspects of World Music, it is frustrating that he continually puts out newer editions that have minimal changes except for the CD. For the general information gathered from this text, anyone will be able to gain loads of interesting facts about the different cultures and their musical ceremonies/practices.
Not a bad world music textbook, but............2003-11-29
I've been teaching a world music course out of this textbook for a couple years now and will say that there are some positives to it: the CD compilation is great, good variety and interesting and there is some really good, detailed information that students would find interesting-it's good for people who go into world music without knowing much, it can be engaging and intriguing. It was the book I used as a student. But, on the other hand from an academic, teaching point of view there are some flaws. I will admit it's difficult to cover an entire world of music in one book, it must be an editor's nightmare on how to arrange the information. But one problem is that some chapters focus on a country or region within a country, i.e. - Japan, South India, Native America. Whereas other chapters focus too broadly-an entire chapter that covers the whole continent of Africa and one on South America!! It doesn't cover Brazil which is full of various musical traditions and is such a large country. Some of the chosen examples of traditions are highly localized too and not indicative of the general population. My Bosnian student had never heard of Bosnian ganga singing until this class. It's not that the information is at all wrong or presented in a bad way, it just needs clarification for students. You wouldn't want them walking away from a class thinking these musical traditions are known and practiced by the entire population (as with ganga singing). One other problem is that there is no chapter on the Middle East which is really unfortunate. I don't think this is a horrible textbook, of the few out there, this is probably the better one. Students can get a lot out of it, and especially the CDs, but if you teach with it, I highly suggest using supplemental information and even make your students be critical of the information they find in the book as well as how it's arranged.
Fascinating and scholarly!!!.......2001-10-21
This book is wonder and a treasure trove of musical ideas from around the planet. For example, how many music historians are aware of how the Native Amercians used song to identify each of their tribes?
Mr. Titon has provided very interesting facts about music making from many world cultures. He has also produced a 3 CD sound compilation of musical examples for this book that is indispensible.
If you're tired of today's bland market of music that has sadly squashed historical music making of any kind, this book is an excellent journey into the world's most basic roots of song and music.
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The Norton Recordings - Eighth Edition: to Accompany the Enjoyment of Music: Shorter Version
The Norton Scores: A Study Anthology, Ninth Edition, Volume 1: Gregorian Chant to Beethoven
The Norton Scores: A Study Anthology, Ninth Edition, Volume 2: Schubert to the Present
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Study Guide for the Enjoyment of Music
