Music and Death: Funeral Music, Memory and Re-Evaluating Life

Music gives specific meanings to our lives, how we experience death, and how we celebrate the deceased. Music & Death investigates different musical engagements with death, including musical rituals and intercessions, musicians' reactions to death, and the public's reaction. The genres covered include requiem settings, operas and ballets, arts songs, songs by Leonard Cohen and the B-52s, and instrumental music. The volume adds many new facets to the area of death studies, highlighting different aspects of musical thanatology.

Format: Hardback
Length: 260 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2023
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

Music has a profound impact on our lives, influencing not only our experiences but also how we perceive and navigate the inevitable end of life. It plays a central role in death rituals, offering solace and comfort to survivors and celebrating the lives of the deceased. In "Music & Death," a comprehensive exploration of the relationship between music and death, eleven essays delve into a diverse range of genres, styles, and periods of Western music, spanning from the Middle Ages to the present day. This volume employs a variety of methodological approaches to examine the multifaceted connections between music and death, encompassing musical rituals and intercessions for the departed, as well as the reactions of musicians to their own deaths, their coping mechanisms with grief, anger, and acceptance, and the public's response to the loss of musical icons.

The genres explored in this volume are diverse and include requiem settings, operas, ballets, art songs, compositions by renowned artists such as Leonard Cohen and the B-52s, and instrumental music. Additionally, broader reflections are offered regarding the psychological links between creative musical practice and the process of overcoming grief, the central role of music in shaping specific lifestyles (such as the psychobilly subculture), and the perceived universalism of Western art music, exemplified by compositions by composers like Brahms.

"Music & Death" contributes significantly to the field of death studies, offering fresh perspectives and insights into the complex interplay between music and the human experience of death. It appeals to scholars interested in the intersections between Western music and theology, as well as those in anthropology and cultural studies. The contributions of the authors, each of whom brings their expertise and unique perspective to the volume, enrich the understanding of music's role in confronting and navigating the existential challenges of death.

In conclusion, "Music & Death" is a groundbreaking exploration of the profound and multifaceted relationship between music and death. Through its comprehensive essays and diverse methodological approaches, the volume offers valuable insights into the ways in which music can shape our understanding of death, provide solace to those who are grieving, and celebrate the lives of the departed. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersections between music, culture, and the human experience, and will undoubtedly inspire further research and exploration in this field.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781837650644