Revisiting the Historiography of Postwar Avant-Garde Music

This collection of essays challenges traditional historiographical approaches to European postwar avant-garde music, offering new perspectives and insights into the subject. The authors explore topics such as the influence of long-playing records, Messiaens interest in non-European musical traditions, Xenakis use of information theory, Kagels invention of a new genre, Berios dependence on American funding, and the musical legacies of figures like Boulez, Stockhausen, Pousseur, and Nono.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 29 July 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive collection of essays explores the prevailing historiographical approaches that have shaped the narrative of European postwar avant-garde music. By offering fresh perspectives, the contributors aim to challenge the conventional narratives of this history writing. The essays delve into a wide range of topics, including the influence of long-playing records on the emergence of open works, Messiaen's fascination with non-European musical traditions, Xenakis's exploration of information theory, Kagel's strategic creation of a new genre, Berio's reliance on funding from American foundations, and the ways in which figures such as Boulez, Stockhausen, Pousseur, and Nono constructed their musical legacies. The authors, esteemed experts in their respective fields, have undertaken the task of reevaluating the historiography of European experimental music during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Through this rethinking, they propose new directions and insights that will be valuable to both students and specialists in twentieth-century music and music historiography.

Weight: 540g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781138091207