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Critical Entertainments: Music Old and New
An extraordinarily gifted musician and writer, Charles Rosen is a peerless commentator on the history and performance of music. Critical Entertainments brings together many of the essays that have established him as one of the most influential and eloquent voices in the field of music in our time.
These essays cover a broad range of musical forms, historical periods, and issues―from Bach through Brahms to Carter and Schoenberg, from contrapuntal keyboard music to opera, from performance practices to music history as a discipline. They revisit Rosen’s favorite subjects and pursue some less familiar paths. They court controversy (with strong opinions about performance on historical instruments, the so-called New Musicology, and the alleged “death” of classical music) and offer enlightenment on subjects as diverse as music dictionaries and the aesthetics of stage fright. All are unified by Rosen’s abiding concerns and incomparable style. In sum, Critical Entertainments is a treasury of the vast learning, wit, and insight that we have come to expect from this remarkable writer. It will delight all music lovers.
These essays cover a broad range of musical forms, historical periods, and issues―from Bach through Brahms to Carter and Schoenberg, from contrapuntal keyboard music to opera, from performance practices to music history as a discipline. They revisit Rosen’s favorite subjects and pursue some less familiar paths. They court controversy (with strong opinions about performance on historical instruments, the so-called New Musicology, and the alleged “death” of classical music) and offer enlightenment on subjects as diverse as music dictionaries and the aesthetics of stage fright. All are unified by Rosen’s abiding concerns and incomparable style. In sum, Critical Entertainments is a treasury of the vast learning, wit, and insight that we have come to expect from this remarkable writer. It will delight all music lovers.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
336 pages, Paperback
Published November 30, 2001
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About the author
Charles Rosen
56 books54 followersCharles Rosen was a concert pianist, Professor of Music and Social Thought at the University of Chicago, and the author of numerous books, including The Classical Style, The Romantic Generation, and Freedom and the Arts.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 18, 2018
Must read! If only for Rosen’s review of two of the most well known music dictionaries out there. I mean, who the hell reads dictionaries except Charles Rosen?
He presents many view points which are not popular yet extremely convincing WHILST simultaneously leading you to use your own mind to judge for yourself. I call this exemplary. Absolutely must read.
He presents many view points which are not popular yet extremely convincing WHILST simultaneously leading you to use your own mind to judge for yourself. I call this exemplary. Absolutely must read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review