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Title: What to Listen for in Music by Aaron Copland, Alan Rich, William Schuman ISBN: 0-451-52867-0 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: November, 2002 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.89 (19 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Listening to Copeland
Comment: I first heard about Copeland's book a few years ago in a college English composition class, where we had to read a section of the book and write a reader response. The chapter we read was called "How we Listen," and I was immediately struck by how clearly Copeland addressed such a complicated subject, and admired his candidness and honesty.
"What to Listen for in Music" is excerpted from Copeland's series of lectures at the New School in New York City in the late 1930s, lectures that were open to the general public. As such, Copeland's goal was to cover a wide range of musical topics that appealed to musicians and non-musicians alike, from general music theory and harmony to how composers work and the differences in operatic forms, with the premise that one can enjoy music better if he understands the underlying technical aspects better.
Copeland's ideas are very interesting, especially when he talks about the methodological differences between several well-known composers. He talks matter-of-factly about music and the creative process; even comparing a musician's working method to a plumber's so as to de-mystify it. Indeed, Copeland's is a fresh perspective about a subject that has become bogged-down in jargon and egos since its invention. The only forgettable sections of the book come toward the end where Copeland discusses opera and music drama, and some of the fundamental forms such as sonatas and fugues. Frankly, his descriptions become too detailed and I lost interest, feeling like a student in a lecture hall. But, for my intents and purposes, Copeland's work was done.
Rating: 5
Summary: Attention Music Lovers!
Comment: Anybody who has any interest in music owes it to themselves to read this book. In this definitive guide to musical enjoyment, Aaron Copeland takes a look at how to listen to music intelligently. Two questions are addressed in this interesting, in-depth study: Are you hearing everything that is going on? Are you really being sensitive to it?
It doesn't matter what kind of music you enjoy, everyone can get something out of this book. Though relating more closely to classical music, Aaron Copeland's ideas for listening to music will give the reader a better appreciation and understanding of whatever music they listen to.
From reading this book you will gain insight into the creative process of a composer. In laymen's terms, the book describes the way composers write music as well as how they actually listen to it. It explains that there are three separate planes upon which music is listened to. They are the sensuous plane, the expressive plane, and the sheerly musical plane. Copeland goes on to tell how music is heard on each plane and explains how each works, which I found very interesting.
Overall, Aaron Copeland's What To Listen For In Music is a good book that I recommend to anyone who has an interest in music or enjoys listening to it. A whole new level of listening ability can be gained from reading this book. It explains music from the composer's point of view, giving you insight into how music is composed, and how to listen to it, which gives you a deeper appreciation of music.
Rating: 2
Summary: the inverted sonata: slow-fast-slow
Comment: This book is not really about the art of listening as much as a guide to classical music structure. It's hard to say who the target audience for this is as neither beginners nor advanced listeners will be completely satisfied.
I got this book from a friend - an absolute beginner in music - who abandoned it as too complex. It does ramble on with a few chapters of basic music theory but without warning there is a huge jump (along the lines of "this is a treble clef... now here's the complete score to...") at which point the beginner is lost. It's as if Copland suddenly decided he was fed up with the pre-amble and wanted to get on with his original purpose.
The seasoned listener who is still reading will get value at this point, particularly from the discussion on the "planes of music" (the reviewer below elaborates). Unfortunately the book ends on a low note with some dry discussions of form (sonatas, fugue) which any Grade 6 music student will be familiar with.
If you are looking for a book on the art of listening, there are certainly other titles to explore first.
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Title: Inside Music by Karl Haas ISBN: 0385417748 Publisher: Anchor Pub. Date: 01 September, 1991 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: The Hal Leonard Pocket Music Dictionary by Hal Leonard, Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation ISBN: 0793516544 Publisher: Hal Leonard Pub. Date: March, 1993 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
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Title: Music and Imagination. by Aaron Copland ISBN: 0674589157 Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr Pub. Date: February, 1972 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: The NPR Classical Music Companion : Terms and Concepts from A to Z by Miles Hoffman ISBN: 0395707420 Publisher: Mariner Books Pub. Date: 19 August, 1997 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: The Classical Music Experience: Discover the Music of the World's Greatest Composers by Julius H. Jacobson II, Narration by Kevin Kline ISBN: 1570719500 Publisher: Sourcebooks Trade Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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