Temporal Processes in Beethoven’s Music by David B Greene

Temporal Processes in Beethoven’s Music by David B Greene

Beginning with the concept that human experience is always temporal, the author, a leading musicologist, presents the idea in his book Temporal Processes in Beethoven’s Music (originally published in 1982) that music offers us metaphors for temporality and explores the implications of this to our appreciation and awareness of music in our lives.

Every piece of music differentiates between past, present, and future in its own unique way. When a piece seems important to us, the reason may be that its temporal process overlaps with—and confirms and helps us become aware of—our own. Conversely, using the description of a temporal process as a metaphor for a piece of music leads us to new insights into the music. This book surveys temporality in Baroque, Classic and Romantic music, and then looks in detail at six movements by Beethoven. Two goals guide all the analyses: to let the music sharpen our awareness of the temporal process and to let an awareness of its temporality enrich our transaction with the music.

Profusely illustrated with musical examples, this important philosophical study will be of interest to musicians, philosophers, and musicologists who will find insights into Beethoven’s music and data on the stylistic conventions practiced by the Viennese contemporaries of Beethoven.

Review of the first publication:

‘…is exceedingly thought-provoking and well writtenWhile its primary usefulness might be for those working in the area of music theory or musicology (particularly in conjunction with courses dealing with Beethoven’s music), its appeal also extends most impressively to the area of music aesthetics.’

— Samuel D. Miller, The Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 19, No. 3