One of the most forthright and talented of American composers writes here of the part played by the freely imaginative mind in composing, performing, and listening to music. He urges more frequent performance and more sensitive hearing of the music of new composers. He discusses sound media, new and old, and looks toward a musical future in which the timbres and intensitie One of the most forthright and talented of American composers writes here of the part played by the freely imaginative mind in composing, performing, and listening to music. He urges more frequent performance and more sensitive hearing of the music of new composers. He discusses sound media, new and old, and looks toward a musical future in which the timbres and intensities developed by the electronic engineer may find their musical shape and meaning. He considers the twentieth-century revolt against classical form and tonality, and the recent disturbing political interference with the form and content of music. He analyzes American and contemporary European music and the flowering of specifically Western imagination in Villa-Lobos and Charles Ives. The final chapter is an account, partially autobiographical, of the composer who seeks to find, in an industrial society like that of the United States, justification for the life of art in the life about him. Mr. Copeland, whose spectacular success in arriving at a musical vernacular has brought him a wide audience, will acquire as many readers as he has listeners with this imaginatively written book.
Music and Imagination
One of the most forthright and talented of American composers writes here of the part played by the freely imaginative mind in composing, performing, and listening to music. He urges more frequent performance and more sensitive hearing of the music of new composers. He discusses sound media, new and old, and looks toward a musical future in which the timbres and intensitie One of the most forthright and talented of American composers writes here of the part played by the freely imaginative mind in composing, performing, and listening to music. He urges more frequent performance and more sensitive hearing of the music of new composers. He discusses sound media, new and old, and looks toward a musical future in which the timbres and intensities developed by the electronic engineer may find their musical shape and meaning. He considers the twentieth-century revolt against classical form and tonality, and the recent disturbing political interference with the form and content of music. He analyzes American and contemporary European music and the flowering of specifically Western imagination in Villa-Lobos and Charles Ives. The final chapter is an account, partially autobiographical, of the composer who seeks to find, in an industrial society like that of the United States, justification for the life of art in the life about him. Mr. Copeland, whose spectacular success in arriving at a musical vernacular has brought him a wide audience, will acquire as many readers as he has listeners with this imaginatively written book.
Compare
Related products
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles
The Art of Fielding
Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began (Maus, #2)
The Art of Happiness
Xeleb –
The first few pages, when he talks about Sartre, the relation between time and music and how music is different than the other forms of art, gives you so much to think about, and you immediately know what to expect from the book. I read it years ago, then months ago, then again a few days ago. It is not a great book, the narration is not consistent and it's hard to understand, but it's a must read for everybody who loves music and the philosophy of it. It just gives you so much to think about. The first few pages, when he talks about Sartre, the relation between time and music and how music is different than the other forms of art, gives you so much to think about, and you immediately know what to expect from the book. I read it years ago, then months ago, then again a few days ago. It is not a great book, the narration is not consistent and it's hard to understand, but it's a must read for everybody who loves music and the philosophy of it. It just gives you so much to think about.
Hillary –
Mostly a good book. I think the title is very misleading, however, as I don't think this book helped my musical imagination very much. There were some quotable lines, and good points, but nothing ground-breaking. Mostly a good book. I think the title is very misleading, however, as I don't think this book helped my musical imagination very much. There were some quotable lines, and good points, but nothing ground-breaking.
Richard Jespers –
Embarrassingly, I was supposed to have read this book for a pass-fail ½ credit weekly class in college—over fifty years ago. I could only find three lines, in three different chapters, that I underlined. No marginal comments. I don’t believe I read it with any seriousness of intent. And still I got a pass for the class. On the other hand, I’m not sure that if I had read the book all the way through I would have understood it. Reading it now, after having long-ago earned my degree of music, having Embarrassingly, I was supposed to have read this book for a pass-fail ½ credit weekly class in college—over fifty years ago. I could only find three lines, in three different chapters, that I underlined. No marginal comments. I don’t believe I read it with any seriousness of intent. And still I got a pass for the class. On the other hand, I’m not sure that if I had read the book all the way through I would have understood it. Reading it now, after having long-ago earned my degree of music, having listened to serious music as the “gifted” listener Copland lifts up, having acquired a lifetime of humanities-related experiences, many of his ideas make sense. But was it perhaps too much to ask an eighteen-year-old to read such a book and formulate decent questions for a classroom discussion with a group made up of freshmen through seniors? I’m not sure. In part, the book now, of course, seems a bit dated. Copland is commenting and writing exactly mid-twentieth century, now seventy years ago. The music he is writing about has now taken its proper place in American music history. The composing of American serious music has moved on beyond even what John Cage and other composers of his period accomplished. On the other hand, precisely because of when Copland writes this book, we now have a bit of history concerning that period of time. He makes interesting judgments about European music juxtaposed with American. And I am able to make informed critiques of my own, for example, when Copland states that though dramatic performances have moved him to tears, seldom to music events. I can’t disagree with him more. To listen to Saint Saëns’s Third Symphony and Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony and not be moved to tears seems a sacrilege. Now, if it were at all possible, I would like to take that Humanities class again. Now I would have something to say.
Jeremy Hatch –
Interesting portrait of the mid-century mind but little more. Shallow reflections frequently marred by language that strike the reader, in 2020, as sexist, racist, and snobbish. Copland was in fact quite sexist but not the rest, so it took a little looking past the language to appreciate what he was saying in the sense he intended. The best part was some light autobiography towards the end.
Jackson Tejeda –
"My discovery of music was rather like coming upon an unsuspected city - like discovering Paris or Rome if you had never before heard of their existence. The excitement of discovery was enhanced because I came upon only a few streets at a time, but before long I began to suspect the full extent of this city." "My discovery of music was rather like coming upon an unsuspected city - like discovering Paris or Rome if you had never before heard of their existence. The excitement of discovery was enhanced because I came upon only a few streets at a time, but before long I began to suspect the full extent of this city."
Steve Smith –
A clever writer, gifted teacher, and brilliant musician!
Evan Stewart –
A good book regarding the authors influences, and experiences of his life.
James Henderson –
This is a personal book that comments on creativity and imagination in music, but also contemporary musical history. It is useful for both those new to classical music and experienced listeners.
Joshua Disneyq –
Maria Stratigou –
Booklover1951 –
Aviv Gilad –
Alex –
Joe Williams –
Bianca –
Mitch Vandiver –
Parisa Azimzadeh –
Brian J. Evergreen –
Lorenzo A. Ballesteros –
Tomek –
Jared –
NeguraBunget –
Woodsie –
Lukan –
Carrie Ann –
Alex –
Jennifer –
raysilverwoman –
Karim –
Greg Markov –