Expression and listening imply a complex interface. Neither can be conceptualized without the mov... more Expression and listening imply a complex interface. Neither can be conceptualized without the movement of intention and receptivity implied by their conjunction. Yet nothing is less certain, since conjunction requires an intermediary space, where a relationship may be formed in common or else violently impelled. This space – of listening and making oneself heard – is fundamentally political, and this essay explores its key forms in the age of biopolitics and neoliberalism. It is examined via artistic evocations of sonic production and listening in works by André Kertész, Iannis Xenakis and Federico Fellini. Then it is analyzed through two major contemporary paradigms of listening: the institutional network where sound art continues to stake out territory; and the private auditory ‘bubble’ generated by the mobile personal audio-player. Finally, in work by Pedro Almodóvar, a revolutionary approach to expression is found that acknowledges the common space of listening on which it depends.
ion’ (1995: 19). Let’s call this the slippery-sticky-empty paradigm of music. My claim is that it... more ion’ (1995: 19). Let’s call this the slippery-sticky-empty paradigm of music. My claim is that it has been the dominant conceptual paradigm steering how the relationship between music and ideology, if not the political tout court, has been addressed during the last quarter century (or so) of music scholarship. I say steering, but as we are about to see, the slippery-sticky-empty paradigm has also proved a kind of limit or impasse, a theoretical obstruction to the cultural historian’s effort to grasp the music-politics relation in its plenitude. (This has certainly been true of recent work on music in the Third Reich, as noted in the introduction to this thesis.) Jean-Jacques Nattiez’s influential theoretical work Music and Discourse (1990; first published in French in 1987) sheds light on this disabling aspect of the paradigm. The crux of the problem is circumscribed in a simple tripartite schema, introduced in the opening chapter, where ‘trace’ refers to the musical object, ‘poieti...
The Soundtrack of Conflict, a new anthology edited by M. J. Grant and Ferdia J. Stone-Davis, expl... more The Soundtrack of Conflict, a new anthology edited by M. J. Grant and Ferdia J. Stone-Davis, explores the presence of radio music broadcasting in war and conflict situations. The book comprises papers from a 2011 conference organised by Gottingen University’s “Music, Conflict and the State” research group. Fifteen short chapters approach the topic from myriad angles, presenting case studies from the second World War through to the present, crossing three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. W...
pleading. It is unfortunate in this respect that some submissions border on the hagiographic. Tak... more pleading. It is unfortunate in this respect that some submissions border on the hagiographic. Take, for instance, the following, which makes rather bold assumptions about how all listeners will respond to a work: ‘Careful balancing of key relationships and architectural symmetry makes the piece immensely satisfying for players and listeners alike. McCabe’s supreme achievement is to have created such an exciting and original-sounding Fourth Symphony: anyone new to it could be forgiven for assuming it was the composer’s First, so vital and fresh are its ideas’ (p. 49). Elsewhere, McCabe’s achievements are trumpeted just a little too loudly. This is from the final sentence of the book: ‘his contribution to European music drama, in all its forms, will prove to be of lasting importance, as strong and varied a body of work as any composer has produced in the past hundred years’ (p. 219). Many of the contributors are connected to the composer professionally in some capacity, and passages such as these raise doubts over the degree of critical distance some authors bring to their task and thus the usefulness of their accounts. As Landscapes of the Mind is in all likelihood destined to become the standard reference book on McCabe for the foreseeable future, such concerns run the risk of compromising the book’s authority. For this reason, it is worth dwelling on its positive aspects. The portrait of McCabe offered here is one of a serious artist, an important advocate for a range of composers spanning several centuries, a gifted performer and composer, and an excellent role model. Most importantly, those contributions that concentrate on factual evidence and clarity of expression, such as Verity Butler’s chapter on wind chamber music, and Paul Hindmarsh’s on the music for brass and wind, impel the readerçor at least this reviewerçto investigate the less familiar corners of McCabe’s work in greater depth. EDWARD VENN Lancaster University
6’). Chapter 2 is entitled ‘The History of the ‘‘Eroica’’ Sketchbook’; it consists of 215 words, ... more 6’). Chapter 2 is entitled ‘The History of the ‘‘Eroica’’ Sketchbook’; it consists of 215 words, excluding one footnote, and is arranged in two columns in the middle of an otherwise largely blank page 5.The simple, straightforward information it contains might itself have been consigned to a footnote, or easily absorbed into some other part of the introductory matter. This is merely the most glaring example of what might be felt to be a self-indulgent quality in the production values of this series. That said, there has at least been some reining in over the past decade: Kinderman’s edition of Artaria 195 includes an entire separate volume of commentary, presented somewhat incongruously as Volume 1 of a three-volume presentation, facsimile and transcription being relegated to Volumes 2 and 3 respectively (Richard Kramer has referred to ‘a lapse of decorum’: see his ‘To Edit a Sketchbook’, Beethoven Forum, 12 (2005), 84). Even so, this text is shot through with repetitious material. The presence of seeming Masonic symbols in the margins of some pages of Landsberg 6 is of course not uninteresting; but on page 20 we are pointed towards Maynard Solomon’s ‘masterly discussion of Beethoven and Masonry’ while on the facing page 21 we again encounter ‘Solomon, whose well-documented study of Beethoven’s connections to Masonry is among the most persuasive’. Likewise, Syer’s proposal for the dating of the book manages to find its way into no fewer than four separate chapters (see pp. 7, 13, 30, and 52^3). A firmer editorial hand was needed here. In contrast, it would have been helpful to duplicate the inventories by page and work across both volumes, rather than consigning these to the back (pp. 189^219) of the facsimile volume only. The discussions of the sketches for individual works, most notably the ‘Eroica’, are likewise lavishly supplied with music examples and elaborate figures and tables. But whereas the text is on the one hand frequently verbose and overdone (see, for example, the laborious discussion of the relationship between the opening of the Op. 35 ‘Eroica’ Variations for piano and those of the first and last movements of the symphony, pp. 42^3), on the other it frequently does not go far enough: several of these discussions are in effect proto-articles, adumbrations of just the sort of scholarship that the appearance of this edition of Landsberg 6 is presumably intended to promote. But they remain just that: adumbrations. In his Editor’s Preface Kinderman makes much of this particular feature of his series:
This article reviews Pamela M. Lee's Forgetting the Art World (2012) and TJ Demos's Retur... more This article reviews Pamela M. Lee's Forgetting the Art World (2012) and TJ Demos's Return to the Postcolony (2013). Reviewer examines the texts' shared concern with self-reflexive art practices that in different ways work to expose their own conditions of existence with respect to globalization. Both authors, according to the review, engage with art as a privileged medium that is capable of materializing knowledge about globalization and that thereby holds some potential to shape, mediate, or confront its trajectory. After appraising both the originality and limitations of Lee's and Demos's approaches, reviewer concludes with an outline of the core issues and challenges that globalization poses for art-historical methods.
A review of Grant & Stone-Davis' new interdisciplinary anthology exploring the presence of radio ... more A review of Grant & Stone-Davis' new interdisciplinary anthology exploring the presence of radio music broadcasting in war and conflict situations. The review locates seven levels at which different dimensions of political agency are evident within radio broadcast situations.
Expression and listening imply a complex interface. Neither can be conceptualized without the mov... more Expression and listening imply a complex interface. Neither can be conceptualized without the movement of intention and receptivity implied by their conjunction. Yet nothing is less certain, since conjunction requires an intermediary space, where a relationship may be formed in common or else violently impelled. This space – of listening and making oneself heard – is fundamentally political, and this essay explores its key forms in the age of biopolitics and neoliberalism. It is examined via artistic evocations of sonic production and listening in works by André Kertész, Iannis Xenakis and Federico Fellini. Then it is analyzed through two major contemporary paradigms of listening: the institutional network where sound art continues to stake out territory; and the private auditory ‘bubble’ generated by the mobile personal audio-player. Finally, in work by Pedro Almodóvar, a revolutionary approach to expression is found that acknowledges the common space of listening on which it depends.
Expression and listening imply a complex interface. Neither can be conceptualized without the mov... more Expression and listening imply a complex interface. Neither can be conceptualized without the movement of intention and receptivity implied by their conjunction. Yet nothing is less certain, since conjunction requires an intermediary space, where a relationship may be formed in common or else violently impelled. This space – of listening and making oneself heard – is fundamentally political, and this essay explores its key forms in the age of biopolitics and neoliberalism. It is examined via artistic evocations of sonic production and listening in works by André Kertész, Iannis Xenakis and Federico Fellini. Then it is analyzed through two major contemporary paradigms of listening: the institutional network where sound art continues to stake out territory; and the private auditory ‘bubble’ generated by the mobile personal audio-player. Finally, in work by Pedro Almodóvar, a revolutionary approach to expression is found that acknowledges the common space of listening on which it depends.
ion’ (1995: 19). Let’s call this the slippery-sticky-empty paradigm of music. My claim is that it... more ion’ (1995: 19). Let’s call this the slippery-sticky-empty paradigm of music. My claim is that it has been the dominant conceptual paradigm steering how the relationship between music and ideology, if not the political tout court, has been addressed during the last quarter century (or so) of music scholarship. I say steering, but as we are about to see, the slippery-sticky-empty paradigm has also proved a kind of limit or impasse, a theoretical obstruction to the cultural historian’s effort to grasp the music-politics relation in its plenitude. (This has certainly been true of recent work on music in the Third Reich, as noted in the introduction to this thesis.) Jean-Jacques Nattiez’s influential theoretical work Music and Discourse (1990; first published in French in 1987) sheds light on this disabling aspect of the paradigm. The crux of the problem is circumscribed in a simple tripartite schema, introduced in the opening chapter, where ‘trace’ refers to the musical object, ‘poieti...
The Soundtrack of Conflict, a new anthology edited by M. J. Grant and Ferdia J. Stone-Davis, expl... more The Soundtrack of Conflict, a new anthology edited by M. J. Grant and Ferdia J. Stone-Davis, explores the presence of radio music broadcasting in war and conflict situations. The book comprises papers from a 2011 conference organised by Gottingen University’s “Music, Conflict and the State” research group. Fifteen short chapters approach the topic from myriad angles, presenting case studies from the second World War through to the present, crossing three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. W...
pleading. It is unfortunate in this respect that some submissions border on the hagiographic. Tak... more pleading. It is unfortunate in this respect that some submissions border on the hagiographic. Take, for instance, the following, which makes rather bold assumptions about how all listeners will respond to a work: ‘Careful balancing of key relationships and architectural symmetry makes the piece immensely satisfying for players and listeners alike. McCabe’s supreme achievement is to have created such an exciting and original-sounding Fourth Symphony: anyone new to it could be forgiven for assuming it was the composer’s First, so vital and fresh are its ideas’ (p. 49). Elsewhere, McCabe’s achievements are trumpeted just a little too loudly. This is from the final sentence of the book: ‘his contribution to European music drama, in all its forms, will prove to be of lasting importance, as strong and varied a body of work as any composer has produced in the past hundred years’ (p. 219). Many of the contributors are connected to the composer professionally in some capacity, and passages such as these raise doubts over the degree of critical distance some authors bring to their task and thus the usefulness of their accounts. As Landscapes of the Mind is in all likelihood destined to become the standard reference book on McCabe for the foreseeable future, such concerns run the risk of compromising the book’s authority. For this reason, it is worth dwelling on its positive aspects. The portrait of McCabe offered here is one of a serious artist, an important advocate for a range of composers spanning several centuries, a gifted performer and composer, and an excellent role model. Most importantly, those contributions that concentrate on factual evidence and clarity of expression, such as Verity Butler’s chapter on wind chamber music, and Paul Hindmarsh’s on the music for brass and wind, impel the readerçor at least this reviewerçto investigate the less familiar corners of McCabe’s work in greater depth. EDWARD VENN Lancaster University
6’). Chapter 2 is entitled ‘The History of the ‘‘Eroica’’ Sketchbook’; it consists of 215 words, ... more 6’). Chapter 2 is entitled ‘The History of the ‘‘Eroica’’ Sketchbook’; it consists of 215 words, excluding one footnote, and is arranged in two columns in the middle of an otherwise largely blank page 5.The simple, straightforward information it contains might itself have been consigned to a footnote, or easily absorbed into some other part of the introductory matter. This is merely the most glaring example of what might be felt to be a self-indulgent quality in the production values of this series. That said, there has at least been some reining in over the past decade: Kinderman’s edition of Artaria 195 includes an entire separate volume of commentary, presented somewhat incongruously as Volume 1 of a three-volume presentation, facsimile and transcription being relegated to Volumes 2 and 3 respectively (Richard Kramer has referred to ‘a lapse of decorum’: see his ‘To Edit a Sketchbook’, Beethoven Forum, 12 (2005), 84). Even so, this text is shot through with repetitious material. The presence of seeming Masonic symbols in the margins of some pages of Landsberg 6 is of course not uninteresting; but on page 20 we are pointed towards Maynard Solomon’s ‘masterly discussion of Beethoven and Masonry’ while on the facing page 21 we again encounter ‘Solomon, whose well-documented study of Beethoven’s connections to Masonry is among the most persuasive’. Likewise, Syer’s proposal for the dating of the book manages to find its way into no fewer than four separate chapters (see pp. 7, 13, 30, and 52^3). A firmer editorial hand was needed here. In contrast, it would have been helpful to duplicate the inventories by page and work across both volumes, rather than consigning these to the back (pp. 189^219) of the facsimile volume only. The discussions of the sketches for individual works, most notably the ‘Eroica’, are likewise lavishly supplied with music examples and elaborate figures and tables. But whereas the text is on the one hand frequently verbose and overdone (see, for example, the laborious discussion of the relationship between the opening of the Op. 35 ‘Eroica’ Variations for piano and those of the first and last movements of the symphony, pp. 42^3), on the other it frequently does not go far enough: several of these discussions are in effect proto-articles, adumbrations of just the sort of scholarship that the appearance of this edition of Landsberg 6 is presumably intended to promote. But they remain just that: adumbrations. In his Editor’s Preface Kinderman makes much of this particular feature of his series:
This article reviews Pamela M. Lee's Forgetting the Art World (2012) and TJ Demos's Retur... more This article reviews Pamela M. Lee's Forgetting the Art World (2012) and TJ Demos's Return to the Postcolony (2013). Reviewer examines the texts' shared concern with self-reflexive art practices that in different ways work to expose their own conditions of existence with respect to globalization. Both authors, according to the review, engage with art as a privileged medium that is capable of materializing knowledge about globalization and that thereby holds some potential to shape, mediate, or confront its trajectory. After appraising both the originality and limitations of Lee's and Demos's approaches, reviewer concludes with an outline of the core issues and challenges that globalization poses for art-historical methods.
A review of Grant & Stone-Davis' new interdisciplinary anthology exploring the presence of radio ... more A review of Grant & Stone-Davis' new interdisciplinary anthology exploring the presence of radio music broadcasting in war and conflict situations. The review locates seven levels at which different dimensions of political agency are evident within radio broadcast situations.
Expression and listening imply a complex interface. Neither can be conceptualized without the mov... more Expression and listening imply a complex interface. Neither can be conceptualized without the movement of intention and receptivity implied by their conjunction. Yet nothing is less certain, since conjunction requires an intermediary space, where a relationship may be formed in common or else violently impelled. This space – of listening and making oneself heard – is fundamentally political, and this essay explores its key forms in the age of biopolitics and neoliberalism. It is examined via artistic evocations of sonic production and listening in works by André Kertész, Iannis Xenakis and Federico Fellini. Then it is analyzed through two major contemporary paradigms of listening: the institutional network where sound art continues to stake out territory; and the private auditory ‘bubble’ generated by the mobile personal audio-player. Finally, in work by Pedro Almodóvar, a revolutionary approach to expression is found that acknowledges the common space of listening on which it depends.
Uploads
Papers