Unsung Voices

by Carolyn Abbate

Who "speaks" to us in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, in Wagner's operas, in a Mahler symphony? In asking this question, Carolyn Abbate opens nineteenth-century operas and instrumental works to new interpretations as she explores the voices projected by music. The nineteenth-century metaphor of music that "sings" is thus reanimated in a new context, and Abbate proposes interpretive strategies that "de-center" music criticism, that seek the polyphony and dialogism of music, and that celebrate musical gestures often marginalized by conventional music analysis.

Genres: Music

Paperback

First published April 1, 1991

Reviews

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very vividly written, which is helpful when the subject matter is rather dense. An easier read than many musicology books, though sometimes I did find myself wishing that Abbate would get to the point a little faster.

[Nick Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! quite a dense read. Amazing radical musicology, by turns leaving me in the dust and inspiring me.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging to get through, but well worth the effort. Not the densest musicology I've had to traverse (and I won't say whose has been), but this is meaty. The perspective is unique, and valuable.