Strunk's Source Readings in Music History: The Nineteenth Century (Revised Edition) (Vol. 6)

When music of the nineteenth century is subsumed, as it often is, under the label "Romantic era," our attention is focused on the "genius" composer, the creative process, and its fruits. But the period itself witnessed great concern for social, intellectual, and cultural matters as they affected music. From the many perceptive writings of the time, Ruth A. Solie has chosen works by--among others--writers Jean Paul, George Eliot, and E. T. A. Hoffmann; journalists and critics Margaret Fuller, J. S. Dwight, and Eduard Hanslick; music theorist A. B. Marx; scientist Hermann Helmholz; pianist Amy Fay; abolitionist Frederick Douglass; and composers from Berlioz to Dvorak. Whether dealing with gender metaphors or "music of the future," these thoughtful readings illuminate the wide-ranging ideas of a remarkable age in music history. Book jacket.