Music Theory and the Exploration of the Past by Christopher Hatch

Music Theory and the Exploration of the Past by Christopher Hatch

In recent decades, increased specialization has sharply separated music theory from historical musicology. Music Theory and the Exploration of the Past brings together a group of essays--written by theorists and musicologists--that seek to bridge this gap. This collection shows that music theory can join forces with historical musicology to produce a more humanistic form of musical scholarship. In nineteen essays dealing with musical theories from the twelfth to the twentieth century, two recurring themes emerge. One is the need to understand the historical circumstances of the writing and reception of theory, a humanistic approach that gives theory a place within social and intellectual history. The other is the advantages of applying contemporaneous theory to the music of a given period, thus linking theory to the history of musical styles and structures. The periods given principal attention in these essays are the Renaissance, the years around 1800, and the twentieth century. Abundantly illustrated with musical examples, Music Theory and the Exploration of the Past offers models of new practical applications of theory to the analysis of music. At the same time, it raises the broader question of how historical knowledge can deepen the understanding of an art and of systematic writings about that art.

Hatch, Christopher: - David Berstein is an associate professor of music and dean of Fine Arts at Mills College. Before his retirement in 1992.

Christopher Hatch taught music for almost 40 years at Columbia University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780226319025
ISBN 10	0226319024
Title	Music Theory and the Exploration of the Past
Author	Christopher Hatch
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	The University of Chicago Press
Year published	1994-01-01
Number of pages	576
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.