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The Main Stream of Music, and Other Essays
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
422 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
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About the author
Donald Francis Tovey
161 books11 followersBritish musical analyst, musicologist, writer on music, composer and pianist. He is best known for his Essays in Musical Analysis.
He took classical honors with his B.A. at Oxford in 1898, and became a pianist of the first rank, though he never sought a virtuoso career. From 1914 to 1940 he was Reid Professor of Music at Edinburgh University.
He took classical honors with his B.A. at Oxford in 1898, and became a pianist of the first rank, though he never sought a virtuoso career. From 1914 to 1940 he was Reid Professor of Music at Edinburgh University.
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March 31, 2012
As with his Essays in Musical Analysis, my thoughts on which are here, Sir Donald Francis Tovey's writing in this collection can reward even the less well-informed among his readers, which includes me. Generally he relies on an understanding of basic concepts, but here and there he outlines them for the sake of clarity. So, for instance, before launching into an essay on tonality in Schubert, he offers a very simple explanation of what he means by tonality, which remains the best analogy I've come across: he calls it "the harmonic perspective of music," and he means it in a rather exact way. He goes on to explain that "In the classical harmony which comprises Handel's and Schubert's aesthetics the key of a piece is
like the point of view, or the vanishing point, of a picture." Of course, that requires you to understand the meaning of perspective in the pictorial arts, but if you don't you should.
As I said in the review linked above, Tovey is simply a fine writer. He can give you a feel for much of the richness, variety, and intricacy of music, even if the details escape you, and he can elegantly teach you a good deal of what you don't already know.
like the point of view, or the vanishing point, of a picture." Of course, that requires you to understand the meaning of perspective in the pictorial arts, but if you don't you should.
As I said in the review linked above, Tovey is simply a fine writer. He can give you a feel for much of the richness, variety, and intricacy of music, even if the details escape you, and he can elegantly teach you a good deal of what you don't already know.
Displaying 1 of 1 review