Music: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

by NicholasCook (Author)

• Used

  Illustrated
  2000

  $3.40

  This stimulating Very Short Introduction to music invites us to really think about music and the values and qualities we ascribe to it. The world teems with different kinds of music-traditional, folk, classical, jazz, rock, pop-and each type of music tends to come with its own way of thinking. Drawing on a wealth of accessible examples ranging from Beethoven to Chinese zither music, Nicholas Cook attempts to provide a framework for thinking about all music. By examining the personal, social, and cultural values that music embodies, the book reveals the shortcomings of traditional conceptions of music, and sketches a more inclusive approach emphasizing the role of performers and listeners. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

• Used

  Paperback
  1998

  $4.34

  This Very Short Introduction to music invites us to really think about music. Drawing on a number of accessible examples, Nicholas Cook prompts us to call on our own personal musical experiences in order to think more critically about the roles of the performer and the listener, about music as a commodity and an experience, what it means to understand music, and the values that we ascribe to music. Beginning with a sampling of music as human activity the text then goes on to consider the slippery phenomenon of how music has become an object of thought, of critical reflection, of contemplation, of calculation and of the relation between music and society. With references to all types of music from classical to rock, and from New York, South Africa, China and beyond, this Very Short Introduction should be of interest to beginner and expert alike. This book is intended for any student planning to read music/musicology at degree level, A-level students, and all lovers of music.