Twentieth-Century Music: An Introduction (Prentice Hall History of Music Series) [Paperback]

Eric Salzman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0139350578 | ISBN-13: 978-0139350573 | Publication Date: January 1988 | Edition: 3rd

Shows the relationship between contemporary music and the past. Deals with the music itself and musical ideas.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This comprehensive exploration of modern music deals primarily with the music itself and musical ideas.

From the Back Cover

Offering complete, accurate coverage in a tightly condensed, simple format, this comprehensive exploration of modern music (to 1998) deals primarily with the music itself and musical ideas. It puts the whole century in a unified concept, helping readers make sense out of the heterogeneity. It explains the overall development of 20th century music in relation to the past and to two big cycles of contemporary music; and encompasses classical and experimental traditions as well as popular elements, media, multi-media, and theater. Twentieth-Century Music and the Past. THE BREAKDOWN OF TRADITIONAL TONALITY. The Sources. The Revolution: Paris and Vienna. THE NEW TONALITIES. Stravinsky and Neo-Classicism. Neo-Classicism and Neo-Tonality in France and Outside of France. National Styles. Musical Theater. ATONALITY AND TWELVE-TONE MUSIC. The Viennese School. The Diffusion of Twelve-Tone Music. THE AVANT GARDE. Before World War II. Technological Culture and Electronic Music. Ultra-Rationality and Serialism. Anti-Rationality and Aleatory. The New Performed Music: The United States. Post-Serialism: The New Performance Practice in Europe. POST-MODERNISM. Beyond Modern Music. Back to Tonality. Pop as Culture. Media and Theater. Music Examples. For courses anyone interested in 20th Century Music, Modern Music, or the History of Music. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall College Div; 3rd edition (January 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0139350578
• ISBN-13: 978-0139350573
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #619,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book goes beyond an introduction..., August 1, 2000

By 

"kerry24" (MACOMB, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twentieth-Century Music: An Introduction (Prentice Hall History of Music Series) (Paperback)

I used this book two graduate level music courses, and had it recommended as a great resource in a third class. While it can be read and understood by someone new to this era in music, it is also full of information that even the most knowledgable musician can appreciate. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Twentieth-Century music.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a great introduction to 20th century music, December 16, 2009

By 

Eric N. Hermann - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Twentieth Century Music: An Introduction (4th Edition) (Paperback)

I applaud Salzman for his achievement. The book is intellectual, thorough, and perhaps even profound at times. He's obviously listened to these composers and studied their works extensively, not just as a historian, but as a composer.

My problem with the book is that it's not an introduction. Rather, it's a history of musical ideas that will make little sense without already having a firm grasp of the music and the period. The writing style is fluffy and abstract; he prefers long, windy sentences that are full of vague descriptions and impressions; it's almost never concise; and after reading a section, you're often left wondering what it was all about.

For most students, it won't be a very practical book since he doesn't give a clear sense of the timeline (it's only roughly chronological), doesn't tell us which works are most significant (he seems to write about whatever "inspires" him), does not discuss composer biographies at all, and doesn't even give musical examples in the body of the text (only in the appendix). His argument against giving musical examples is that they would make the book too intimidating for the beginner. This is absurd: first, the book is already intellectually daunting and incomprehensible to somebody who hasn't already studied the period and done some substantial listening; second, not having musical examples makes the whole thing far too abstract. With some concrete examples, it might actually be possible to evaluate some of his never-ending, theoretical musings.

Overall, an impressive achievement, but undisciplined, long-winded, and inappropriate as an introduction to the period. Go with Morgan's survey as a start.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars whereis it, November 3, 2010

By 

ERN - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Twentieth Century Music: An Introduction (Prentice-Hall history of music series) (Hardcover)

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Twentieth-Century Music: A History of Musical Style in Modern Europe and America (The Norton Introduction to Music History)