Quotation and Cultural Meaning in Twentieth-Century Music

by David Metzer

Overview

Musicians frequently incorporated portions of works by other musicians into their own compositions and performances throughout the twentieth century. This book examines how this practice of "quotation" affected cultural dialogues regarding race, childhood, madness and the mass media. When a musician borrows from a piece, he or she draws upon not only a melody but also the cultural associations of the original piece. By working with and altering a melody, a musician also transforms those associations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521825092
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/17/2003
Series:	New Perspectives in Music History and Criticism , #12
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.26(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.02(d)

About the Author

David Metzer is Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. He has published a wide range of articles on twentieth-century music.

Table of Contents

List of plates; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Childhood and nostalgia in the works of Charles Ives; 2. Black and white: quotations in Duke Ellington's 'Black and Tan Fantasy'; Interlude: chronological scenes; 3. Madness; 4. The promise of the past: Rochberg, Berio and Stockhausen; 5. Sampling and thievery; 6. Covered up: borrowing in Sandra Bernhard's Without You I'm Nothing; Conclusion; Appendices; Select bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'… rich and fascinating cultural and aesthetic interpretations …' Journal of the Royal Musical Association

From the Publisher