From Israel's most celebrated musician and outspoken critic, an examination of the power of music to transform society.
In this powerful new book, Daniel Barenboim draws on his profound and uniquely influential engagement with music to argue for its central importance in our everyday lives. While we may sometimes think of personal, social and political issues as existing independently of each other, Barenboim shows how music teaches that this is impossible. Drawing on his own involvement with Palestine, he examines the transformative power of music in the world, from his own performances of Wagner in Israel to his foundation, with Edward Said, of the internationally acclaimed West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Music Quickens Time reveals how the sheer power and eloquence of music offers us a way to explore and shed light on how we live, and to illuminate and resolve some of the most intractable issues of our time.
Music Quickens Time
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Why does music have such universal appeal, and how does music help us understand human nature? In this sometimes electrifying, sometimes pedantic journey through the world of music, world famous director, composer and conductor Barenboim engages these and other questions as he searches to unlock music's peculiar power. In the book's first part, he meditates on topics ranging from sound and thought, listening and hearing through a tale of two Palestinians from different backgrounds (one grew up in a Ramallah refugee camp, the other in Nazareth), in which he chronicles the ways that music changed their lives. He recalls how music bridged the gap of political hatred in the West-Eastern Divan project, an orchestra composed of Israeli and Palestinian musicians that he and the late Edward Said put together. For the young people in this orchestra, music provided the language for continuous dialogue. The book's second section gathers occasional pieces previously published in magazines and newspapers that range over topics from Schumann, Bach and Mozart to Pierre Boulez and Wilhelm Furtwängler. In his tribute to his late friend Edward Said, for example, Barenboim recalls that for Said every musical masterpiece was a conception of the world. Barenboim concludes through these illuminating meditations that the power of music lies in its ability to speak to all aspects of the human being. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“Whether discussing the structure of a Mozart finale or the problem of performing Wagner to a Jewish audience, Mr. Barenboim proves a wonderfully compelling maestro.” (The Economist )
“The writing brims with an optimism that is both heroic and hard-won.” (The New Yorker )
“Truly riveting.” (New York Observer )
“Electrifying … Barenboim concludes through these illuminating meditations that the power of music lies in its ability to speak to all aspects of the human being.” (Publishers Weekly )
“There is no one quite like him today in the music world.” (The New York Times )
“The writing brims with an optimism that is both heroic and hard-won.” (The New Yorker )
“Truly riveting.” (New York Observer )
“Electrifying … Barenboim concludes through these illuminating meditations that the power of music lies in its ability to speak to all aspects of the human being.” (Publishers Weekly )
“There is no one quite like him today in the music world.” (The New York Times )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything is Connected: The Power of Music or Music Quickens Time,
By
This review is from: Music Quickens Time (Hardcover)
As in: The NEW YORK TIMES, dated November 24, 2008 offered an overview of a new book entitled "Music Quickens Time" Verso Books) by Daniel Barenboim. I recently read a book by Daniel Barenboim entitled "Everything is Connected: The Power of Music" (published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson-London). ATTENTION TO SHOPPERS.....these two books are exactly the same book. Don't purchase them twice!!! Although Mr. Barenboim is worth reading twIce, even many times, be cautioned that there is a confusion in the purchasing approaches to this item. There is no musician more impassioned with the gift of music to the world than Daniel Barenboim, and no more committed to peace that music is capable of bringing to all nations and the world. Such maxims as: "when you teach, you learn and when you give, you receive" are entwined in the process, the actions and life of this great individual and superb musician.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Music Quickens Time,
This review is from: Music Quickens Time (Hardcover)
Conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim's Music Quickens Time is a philosophical expedition into how people perceive music in their lives. Barenboim's unique multifaceted viewpoint of music stems from his experience and knowledge that has grown through performance, instruction, and contemplation. In his first book, A Life in Music, Barenboim hints at the topics in Music Quickens Time, but it is more of an autobiographical work. In Barenboim's book that he wrote in conjunction with Edward Said, Parallels and Paradoxes, they explored the connection between music and society. Music Quickens Time is the latest work of Barenboim that began when he was invited by Harvard University in 2006 to deliver the Norton lectures. The lectures provided Barenboim with the opportunity to collect his thoughts on music and life and Music Quickens Time is the further development of the topics he spoke on during the Norton lectures.This text may not ever make it onto the syllabus of a college level course, but it should definitely be recommended to anyone who has a curiosity about the parallels between music and life. Music Quickens Time provokes thought on a level that is often either ignored or altogether unknown. Anyone who has ever questioned the validity of music in school curricula or the value of having a symphony orchestra in their city should definitely consider reading this book. Barenboim has many thoughts to explore in this text. In order to express himself to the fullest extent, he formatted his book into two parts. Part one is a philosophical exploration of music entitled, "The Power of Music." In concurrence, Part two gives a differing perspective by providing articles, interviews, and reflections upon great figures in music entitled, "Variations." Part one takes up approximately fifty-one percent of the book containing a prelude and six chapters. From the opening words of the prelude, Barenboim's unique viewpoint of how music impacts our lives is evident. He concisely explains how sound is more privileged than words, that the cacophonous omnipresence of music in our society is a hindrance, and that his book is not exclusively for musicians nor non-musicians. In the first chapter entitled, "Sound and Thought" Barenboim explains his thoughts on how it is impossible to speak about music, but that he has always been intrigued by the impossible and thus he attempts the impossible by speaking about his reactions and perceptions of music. He provides the reader with his thoughts on sound and its relation to silence. Later in the chapter he connects music to life by emphasizing that we cannot only learn about music, but also from music. To end the chapter, Barenboim relates music to history in that, like history, music moves in time and a single event can irrevocably alter everything. The second chapter entitled, "Listening and Hearing" explains how we can learn much about life from the structures, principles, and laws inherent in music. He emphasizes the importance of training the ear, because the ears are the organs of instruction. He relates and expands the importance of developing the ear to the growth of individuals and their place and function within society. Chapter four is entitled, "Freedom of Thought and Interpretation." This chapter is possibly the most philosophical writing to be found in the book. Barenboim uses Spinoza's Ethics as a basis for thinking about intellect and emotion and how music successfully balances the two paving the way for his comparison of how a nation's constitution is similar to a musical score. This connection effectively expands upon the title of the chapter by explaining the impact of interpretation upon written documents and how thinking is a result of a dialectic between intellect and emotion. The next chapter, "The Orchestra" is primarily an introduction into Barenboim's political insights concerning the conflict in the Middle East. The main connection he makes between music and life is that, like an orchestra performer, people have to both perform their individual duties and listen to everything going on around them in order to successfully coexist. "A Tale of Two Palestinians" elaborates upon an instance when music conquered all. Barenboim tells a tale of how a young man rises above the depressive atmosphere created by the volatile relationship between Palestinians and Israelis through music. This chapter does not have the same flow or emphasis on music, but rather focuses on the conflict between groups of people. As such, it seems to be out of place when viewed in relation to the previous and following chapters. The final chapter discusses directly the power of music. In this chapter, Barenboim struggles with music as the ultimate model for society and that in order for music to provide this model we must understand it and not merely react to it on an animal level. He emphasizes that the power of music lies in the ability of music to speak to all aspects of being human - the animal, the emotional, the intellectual, and the spiritual. In short, Barenboim explains that music has the ability to teach us everything and that we should develop the organs of instruction in order to recognize the power of music. Part two is a collection of articles, interviews, and personnel reflections. This portion of the book that encompasses approximately forty-two percent of the text provides examples of the previously presented ideas. It is a completely different kind of writing and requires a different mind set when reading. This text would have benefited greatly if part one had been extended and a book published. Part two would make a good companion to part one in a separate book, but it is a difficult transition to make when presented in the current format. The philosophical nature of this book requires the reader to think deeply. Barenboim provokes thought and invites the reader to think on what he presents him or her. The comparisons made between music and life highlights the strengths and weaknesses of what it means to be human. Anyone interested in the interconnectedness of all things would find that this book offers a rare viewpoint on the topic.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Appreciation for Paradox and Irony,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Music Quickens Time (Paperback)
I am a lover of classical music and the piano. I am not a musician. Barenboim's explanations applied to specific classical works are interesting, but I don't really understand them. He has excellent chapters giving his insights and opinions on Mozart and Bach. He explains why Mozart is preferable to Brahms and then why such comparisons are not really relevant. More paradox. The book is not as well-written or detailed as I would have preferred, but Mr. Barenboim does a really good job of explaining how music and composers (Mozart) employed paradox is their compositions; e.g., the tragic has touches of comedy and vice versa, heavy and light, etc. If you are a relative novice in music history, this book has appeal. I've listened to Barenboim for years, particularly playing the Mozart piano concertos. It is a nice supplement to listening pleasure.
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