Text and act : essays on music and performance / Richard Taruskin.
| Author/creator | Taruskin, Richard |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | New York : Oxford University Press, 1995. |
| Description | vi, 382 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | In theory. On letting the music speak for itself -- The limits of authenticity: a contribution -- Down with the fence -- The pastness of the present and the presence of the past -- What, or where, is the original? -- The modern sound of early music -- Tradition and authority -- In practice. Beethoven. The new antiquity -- Resisting the Ninth -- Mozart. An icon for our time -- A Mozart wholly ours -- Old (new) instruments, new (old) tempos -- Bach. Backslide or harbinger? -- Facing up, finally, to Bach's dark vision -- The crooked straight and the rough places plain -- Antiquarian innocence. Report from Lincoln Center: the International Josquin Festival-Conference, 21-25 june 1971 -- The price of literacy, or, why we need musicology -- High, sweet, and loud -- Text and act -- Full circle. Stravinsky lite (even "The Rite"). |
| Abstract | Over the last dozen years, the writings of Richard Taruskin have transformed the debate about "early music" and "authenticity." This book collects for the first time the most important of Taruskin's essays and reviews from this period, many of which are now classics in the field. Taking a wide-ranging cultural view of the early music phenomenon, he shows that the movement, far from reviving ancient traditions, in fact represents the only truly modern style of performance being offered today. He goes on to contend that the movement is therefore far more valuable--and even authentic--than simple historical verisimilitude could ever be. These essays cast fresh light on many aspects of contemporary music-making and music-thinking, mixing lighthearted debunking with impassioned argumentation. Taruskin moves fluently from theoretical speculation to practical criticism, and covers a repertory ranging from Josquin des Prez to Stravinsky. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| LCCN | 94024903 |
| ISBN | 0195094379 |
| ISBN | 0195094581 (pbk.) |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Music Stacks | ML457 .T37 1995 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |