The Possessor and the Possessed: Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, and the Idea of Musical Genius
TL;DR: Martin's analysis of the Napoleonic Civil Code, which is the most useful and valuable part of the book, is recommended in this paper for the serious and advanced student who is widely and deeply read in the literature of the Enlightenment.
Abstract: Revellibre-LCpaux. The revisionist case in favor of the point on freedom and political democracy argued by such scholars as Isser Woloch (1970). Martyn Lyons (1975), Denis Woronoff (English trans. 1986), and James Livesey (2001) is not overturned in my mind hy Martin’s argument. There can be no dispute whatsoever, on the other hand, that Napoleon, a thoroughgoing autocrat and the first modem dictator, categorically rejected any and all notions of human freedom, real or potential, and that is clearly seen in Martin’s analysis of the Napoleonic Civil Code, which, in my mind, is the most useful and valuable part of thc book. In conclusion, this is definitely not a book for a neophyte, but rather for the serious and advanced student who is widely and deeply read in the literature of the Enlightenment. the revolution, and Napoleon. Even though I disagrce with some of Martin’s points and interpretations. I strongly recommend his book for specialists and advanced scholars of the period.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: Within the theoretical framework of Roland Barthes's writings on myth and ideology, this article expose the historical legitimation project through which the mythmaking, universalizing rhetoric of musical genius that has long surrounded the figure of Ludwig van Beethoven came to infiltrate scholarship on Josquin des Prez, culminating in his late twentieth-century apotheosis.
Abstract: Within the theoretical framework of Roland Barthes9s writings on myth and ideology, this essay seeks to expose the historical legitimation project through which the mythmaking, universalizing rhetoric of musical genius that has long surrounded the figure of Ludwig van Beethoven came to infiltrate scholarship on Josquin des Prez, culminating in his late twentieth-century apotheosis. Contextualizing the composer9s reception history with respect to the debates between Joseph Kerman and Edward Lowinsky in 1965 and especially the 1971 Josquin Festival-Conference, the author suggests that the ideological refashioning of Josquin in the image of Beethoven has simultaneously shaped and derailed the intellectual trajectory of early music scholarship in the past thirty years. By privileging a discourse of musical genius in the service of which, among other concerns, the canon of works attributed to the composer is being decimated beyond historical recognition, the richness and complexity of the musical culture of which he was a vital part risks being overshadowed and obfuscated by the disproportionate amount of attention invested in his singular accomplishments. The essay advocates a resolute historicization of sixteenth-century discourses of creative endowment, a critical reassessment of the role of authentication scholarship in Josquin studies, and a renewed sensitivity to the imbrication of mythologies of musical genius in music historiographies of both the past and the present.
72 citations
25 May 2011
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the institutional foundations of musical life in late Imperial Russia, as well as the explosion of cultural life in the aftermath of the 1905 Revolution, a vibrant social context which nourished the formation of musical metaphysics.
Abstract: At the dawn of the twentieth century, Imperial Russia was in the throes of immense social, political and cultural upheaval. The effects of rapid industrialization, rising capitalism and urbanization, as well as the trauma wrought by revolution and war, reverberated through all levels of society and every cultural sphere. In the aftermath of the 1905 revolution, amid a growing sense of panic over the chaos and divisions emerging in modern life, a portion of Russian educated society (obshchestvennost’) looked to the transformative and unifying power of music as a means of salvation from the personal, social and intellectual divisions of the contemporary world. Transcending professional divisions, these “orphans of Nietzsche” comprised a distinct aesthetic group within educated Russian society. While lacking a common political, religious or national outlook, these philosophers, poets, musicians and other educated members of the upper and middle strata were bound together by their shared image of music’s unifying power, itself built upon a synthesis of Russian and European ideas. They yearned for a “musical Orpheus,” a composer capable of restoring wholeness to society through his music. My dissertation is a study in what I call “musical metaphysics,” an examination of the creation, development, crisis and ultimate failure of this Orphic worldview. To begin, I examine the institutional foundations of musical life in late Imperial Russia, as well as the explosion of cultural life in the aftermath of the 1905 Revolution, a vibrant social context which nourished the formation of musical metaphysics. From here, I assess the intellectual basis upon which musical metaphysics rested: central concepts (music, life-transformation, theurgy, unity, genius, nation), as well as the philosophical heritage of Nietzsche and the Christian thinkers Vladimir Solov’ev, Aleksei Khomiakov,
42 citations
Book•
01 Jun 2017
TL;DR: McCormick as mentioned in this paper argues that competitions have endured because they are not only about music, they are also about civility, and draws from firsthand observations of contests in Europe and the US, and in-depth interviews with competitors, jurors and directors.
Abstract: Although competitions in classical music have a long history, the number of contests has risen dramatically since the Second World War, all of them aiming to launch young artists' careers. This is not the symptom of marketization that it might appear to be. Despite the establishment of an international governing body, competitions are plagued by rumors of corruption, and even the most mathematically sophisticated voting system cannot quell accusations that the best talent is overlooked. Why do musicians take part? Why do audiences care so much about who wins? Performing Civility is the first book to address these questions. In this groundbreaking study, Lisa McCormick draws from firsthand observations of contests in Europe and the US, and in-depth interviews with competitors, jurors and directors, as well as blog data from competition observers to argue that competitions have endured because they are not only about music, they are also about civility.
41 citations
Cites background from "The Possessor and the Possessed: Ha..."
...This entails a loss of self or personhood: “the god speaks through the poet; so it is not the person of the poet but the ‘person’ of the god that makes the poetry” (Kivy, 2001:73)....
[...]
...…of nature” (Feldman & Goldsmith, 1986:3), the virtuoso crosses “the limit of what seems possible or what the spectator can imagine” (Gooley, 2004:1), the hero rebels against the rules of musical and social convention (Kivy, 2001) and the intellectual penetrates the boundaries of subjectivity....
[...]
...His unconventionality therefore took on an ideological tone (see DeNora, 1995; Kivy, 2001)....
[...]
...For him, both share liberation from the “dominance of will” (Kivy, 2001:75)....
[...]
01 Jan 2009
TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual model of musical giftedness is outlined based on domain generality and domain specificity, and the question of heredity is brought to the fore as is the significance of accumulated practice over time.
Abstract: Many labels exist to outline musical giftedness or aspects of it; a profusion resulting from different epistemological positions, disagreements, and the considerable complexity of the issue. In this chapter, musical giftedness as a sub-cultural attribute is discussed as well as the problems inherent in attribution by consensus procedures. Based on available research a conceptual model of musical giftedness is outlined based on domain generality and domain specificity, thus proposing an understanding of musical giftedness as a set of core skills and sets of key skills, particular for specific domains. The question of heredity is brought to the fore as is the significance of accumulated practice over time. Differences between the development of Western Classical musicians and popular musicians are demonstrated. Recent research on giftedness identification is also discussed followed by a concluding overview of potential research pitfalls as the understanding of musical giftedness continues to be explored.
27 citations
Book•
[...]
01 Jan 2012
TL;DR: Aron, Harris, Editors' Introduction as mentioned in this paper, and Salberg, Leaning into Termination, The Analytic Impasse and the Third, The Analyst's Secret Delinquencies, and the Impasse Recollected in Tranquility.
Abstract: Orfanos, Foreword. Aron, Harris, Editors' Introduction. Ehrenberg, Psychoanalytic Engagement. Hoffman, At Death's Door. Slochower, The Analyst's Secret Delinquencies. Seligman, The Developmental Perspective in Relational Psychoanalysis. Beebe, Faces in Relation. Pizer, Impasse Recollected in Tranquility. Davies, Whose Bad Objects Are We Anyway? Knoblauch, Body Rhythms and the Unconscious. Aron, Analytic Impasse and the Third. Bass, When the Frame Doesn't Fit the Picture. Elise, The Black Man and the Mermaid. Cooper, Privacy, Reverie, and the Analyst's Ethical Imagination. Bromberg, "Grown-up" Words. Salberg, Leaning into Termination. Harris, "You Must Remember This." Stern, Partners in Thought. Gabbard, Ogden, On Becoming a Psychoanalyst. Wachtel, Knowing Oneself from the Inside Out, Knowing Oneself from the Outside In. Ringstrom, Principles of Improvisation.
26 citations
Cites background from "The Possessor and the Possessed: Ha..."
...He used many of the same classical forms as had his predecessors, but he also showed that a greater level of emotionality could be introduced into the music without sacrificing the classical forms (Kivy, 2001)....
[...]
References
More filters
TL;DR: Within the theoretical framework of Roland Barthes's writings on myth and ideology, this article expose the historical legitimation project through which the mythmaking, universalizing rhetoric of musical genius that has long surrounded the figure of Ludwig van Beethoven came to infiltrate scholarship on Josquin des Prez, culminating in his late twentieth-century apotheosis.
Abstract: Within the theoretical framework of Roland Barthes9s writings on myth and ideology, this essay seeks to expose the historical legitimation project through which the mythmaking, universalizing rhetoric of musical genius that has long surrounded the figure of Ludwig van Beethoven came to infiltrate scholarship on Josquin des Prez, culminating in his late twentieth-century apotheosis. Contextualizing the composer9s reception history with respect to the debates between Joseph Kerman and Edward Lowinsky in 1965 and especially the 1971 Josquin Festival-Conference, the author suggests that the ideological refashioning of Josquin in the image of Beethoven has simultaneously shaped and derailed the intellectual trajectory of early music scholarship in the past thirty years. By privileging a discourse of musical genius in the service of which, among other concerns, the canon of works attributed to the composer is being decimated beyond historical recognition, the richness and complexity of the musical culture of which he was a vital part risks being overshadowed and obfuscated by the disproportionate amount of attention invested in his singular accomplishments. The essay advocates a resolute historicization of sixteenth-century discourses of creative endowment, a critical reassessment of the role of authentication scholarship in Josquin studies, and a renewed sensitivity to the imbrication of mythologies of musical genius in music historiographies of both the past and the present.
72 citations
25 May 2011
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the institutional foundations of musical life in late Imperial Russia, as well as the explosion of cultural life in the aftermath of the 1905 Revolution, a vibrant social context which nourished the formation of musical metaphysics.
Abstract: At the dawn of the twentieth century, Imperial Russia was in the throes of immense social, political and cultural upheaval. The effects of rapid industrialization, rising capitalism and urbanization, as well as the trauma wrought by revolution and war, reverberated through all levels of society and every cultural sphere. In the aftermath of the 1905 revolution, amid a growing sense of panic over the chaos and divisions emerging in modern life, a portion of Russian educated society (obshchestvennost’) looked to the transformative and unifying power of music as a means of salvation from the personal, social and intellectual divisions of the contemporary world. Transcending professional divisions, these “orphans of Nietzsche” comprised a distinct aesthetic group within educated Russian society. While lacking a common political, religious or national outlook, these philosophers, poets, musicians and other educated members of the upper and middle strata were bound together by their shared image of music’s unifying power, itself built upon a synthesis of Russian and European ideas. They yearned for a “musical Orpheus,” a composer capable of restoring wholeness to society through his music. My dissertation is a study in what I call “musical metaphysics,” an examination of the creation, development, crisis and ultimate failure of this Orphic worldview. To begin, I examine the institutional foundations of musical life in late Imperial Russia, as well as the explosion of cultural life in the aftermath of the 1905 Revolution, a vibrant social context which nourished the formation of musical metaphysics. From here, I assess the intellectual basis upon which musical metaphysics rested: central concepts (music, life-transformation, theurgy, unity, genius, nation), as well as the philosophical heritage of Nietzsche and the Christian thinkers Vladimir Solov’ev, Aleksei Khomiakov,
42 citations
Book•
01 Jun 2017
TL;DR: McCormick as mentioned in this paper argues that competitions have endured because they are not only about music, they are also about civility, and draws from firsthand observations of contests in Europe and the US, and in-depth interviews with competitors, jurors and directors.
Abstract: Although competitions in classical music have a long history, the number of contests has risen dramatically since the Second World War, all of them aiming to launch young artists' careers. This is not the symptom of marketization that it might appear to be. Despite the establishment of an international governing body, competitions are plagued by rumors of corruption, and even the most mathematically sophisticated voting system cannot quell accusations that the best talent is overlooked. Why do musicians take part? Why do audiences care so much about who wins? Performing Civility is the first book to address these questions. In this groundbreaking study, Lisa McCormick draws from firsthand observations of contests in Europe and the US, and in-depth interviews with competitors, jurors and directors, as well as blog data from competition observers to argue that competitions have endured because they are not only about music, they are also about civility.
41 citations
01 Jan 2009
TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual model of musical giftedness is outlined based on domain generality and domain specificity, and the question of heredity is brought to the fore as is the significance of accumulated practice over time.
Abstract: Many labels exist to outline musical giftedness or aspects of it; a profusion resulting from different epistemological positions, disagreements, and the considerable complexity of the issue. In this chapter, musical giftedness as a sub-cultural attribute is discussed as well as the problems inherent in attribution by consensus procedures. Based on available research a conceptual model of musical giftedness is outlined based on domain generality and domain specificity, thus proposing an understanding of musical giftedness as a set of core skills and sets of key skills, particular for specific domains. The question of heredity is brought to the fore as is the significance of accumulated practice over time. Differences between the development of Western Classical musicians and popular musicians are demonstrated. Recent research on giftedness identification is also discussed followed by a concluding overview of potential research pitfalls as the understanding of musical giftedness continues to be explored.
27 citations
Book•
[...]
01 Jan 2012
TL;DR: Aron, Harris, Editors' Introduction as mentioned in this paper, and Salberg, Leaning into Termination, The Analytic Impasse and the Third, The Analyst's Secret Delinquencies, and the Impasse Recollected in Tranquility.
Abstract: Orfanos, Foreword. Aron, Harris, Editors' Introduction. Ehrenberg, Psychoanalytic Engagement. Hoffman, At Death's Door. Slochower, The Analyst's Secret Delinquencies. Seligman, The Developmental Perspective in Relational Psychoanalysis. Beebe, Faces in Relation. Pizer, Impasse Recollected in Tranquility. Davies, Whose Bad Objects Are We Anyway? Knoblauch, Body Rhythms and the Unconscious. Aron, Analytic Impasse and the Third. Bass, When the Frame Doesn't Fit the Picture. Elise, The Black Man and the Mermaid. Cooper, Privacy, Reverie, and the Analyst's Ethical Imagination. Bromberg, "Grown-up" Words. Salberg, Leaning into Termination. Harris, "You Must Remember This." Stern, Partners in Thought. Gabbard, Ogden, On Becoming a Psychoanalyst. Wachtel, Knowing Oneself from the Inside Out, Knowing Oneself from the Outside In. Ringstrom, Principles of Improvisation.
26 citations