Music in the Nineteenth Century

by Walter Frisch

Nineteenth-century music in its cultural, social, and intellectual contexts.

Music in the Nineteenth Century examines the period from the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to the advent of Modernism in the 1890s. Frisch traces a complex web of relationships involving composers, performers, publishers, notated scores, oral traditions, audiences, institutions, cities, and nations. The book's central themes include middle-class involvement in music, the rich but elusive concept of Romanticism, the cult of virtuosity, and the ever-changing balance between musical and commercial interests. The final chapter considers the sound world of nineteenth-century music as captured by contemporary witnesses and early recordings.Western Music in A Norton History comprises six volumes of moderate length, each written in an engaging style by a recognized expert. Authoritative and current, the series examines music in the broadest sense—as sounds notated, performed, and heard—focusing not only on composers and works, but also on broader social and intellectual currents.Please note that this version of the ebook does not include access to any media or print supplements that are sold packaged with the printed book.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2012

Reviews

[Drunken_orangetree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in Norton's series of music history textbooks oriented to both music and the context--social and cultural--of that music. Walter Frisch is one of the outstanding scholars of the period and he brings an learned yet accessible approach to the subject.

Frisch assumes the ability to read music and a background in basic music theory, but there is plenty here for anyone interested in the subject.

[Jared Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This textbook (and Music History class) further deepened my love for music. It was over the course of this class that I deeply fell in love with Gustav Mahler's songs and symphonies. Please do yourself a favour and listen to Mahler's 2nd Symphony and Das Lied von der Erde (The song of the Earth). You will not be dissappointed.

[Sally Cathcart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this text for my music history class. It went in more depth than the traditional Grout book on the Romantic period. I really enjoyed reading about the politics of the time period and also more about the lives of the composers. As a violinist, I would argue there is too much about opera and not enough about the symphonic history, but I still really enjoyed the book.

[Alan Murchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An almost impossible task- and he pulls it off.

[Alex D]

I love you Dr. James Davis

[MaKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes I am adding textbooks to my Goodreads list, haha. This one was actually very interesting and I read the entire thing. (I didn’t cheat this time ;))

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This penultimate volume in the Western Music in Context series delves into the 19th century music world in Europe and the United States. Frisch manages to pack a lot into less than 250 pages while still giving fresh perspectives on the musical culture of the era. I was especially impressed with his ability to really investigate the changes in music and how those changes interacted with all sorts of different aspects of his era. I really liked the way he connected socio-economic changes, and especially the solidification of the middle class, with shifts in the way music was made and listened to. The exploration of the effect of technological advances on music was good, too. And it made me very happy that Frisch gave ample coverage to Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Amy Beach.