With her usual combination of erudition, innovation, and spirited prose, Susan McClary reexamines the concept of musical convention in this fast-moving and refreshingly accessible book. Exploring the ways that shared musical practices transmit social knowledge, "Conventional Wisdom" offers an account of our own cultural moment in terms of two dominant traditions: tonality and blues. McClary looks at musical history from new and unexpected angles and moves easily across a broad range of repertoires - the blues, eighteenth ...
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With her usual combination of erudition, innovation, and spirited prose, Susan McClary reexamines the concept of musical convention in this fast-moving and refreshingly accessible book. Exploring the ways that shared musical practices transmit social knowledge, "Conventional Wisdom" offers an account of our own cultural moment in terms of two dominant traditions: tonality and blues. McClary looks at musical history from new and unexpected angles and moves easily across a broad range of repertoires - the blues, eighteenth-century tonal music, late Beethoven, and rap.As one of the most influential trailblazers in contemporary musical understanding, McClary once again moves beyond the borders of the 'purely musical' into the larger world of history and society, and beyond the idea of a socially stratified core canon toward a musical pluralism. Those who know McClary only as a feminist writer will discover her many other sides, but not at the expense of gender issues, which are smoothly integrated into the general argument. In considering the need for a different way of telling the story of Western music, "Conventional Wisdom" bravely tackles big issues concerning classical, popular, and postmodern repertoires and their relations to the broader musical worlds that create and enjoy them.
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Add this copy of Conventional Wisdom: the Content of Musical Form to cart. $6.50, good condition, Sold by BooksRun rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Philadelphia, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by University of California Press.
Add this copy of Conventional Wisdom: the Content of Musical Form to cart. $9.44, good condition, Sold by BayStateBooks rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Smithfield, RI, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by University of California Press.
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The book is in good condition with all pages and cover intact including the dust jacket if originally issued. The spine may show light wear. Pages may contain some notes or highlighting and there might be a From the library of label. Boxed set packaging shrink wrap or included media like CDs may be missing.
Add this copy of Conventional Wisdom-the Content of Musical Form: 12 to cart. $24.84, very good condition, Sold by Halcyon Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from LONDON, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2000 by University of California Press.
Add this copy of Conventional Wisdom: the Content of Musical Form to cart. $36.44, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by University of California Press.
Add this copy of Conventional Wisdom: the Content of Musical Form to cart. $78.18, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by University of California Press.
Add this copy of Conventional Wisdom: the Content of Musical Form to cart. $80.63, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by University of California Press.
This fantastic book by headline-making musicologist Susan McClary is the book form of a series of lectures that she delivered some years ago. Never afraid of a bit of controversy, McClary attempts to approach music history in a rather taboo, postmodern way. She parallels so-called "classical music" with the development of blues/r&b and attempts to legitimize contemporary and popular musics (including Public Enemy). She looks at the development of music in a way that academia tends to shy away from, and the results are quite refreshing. You may not agree with everything that she says, but then again, you may be sold. Either way you'll be glad you considered what she has to say. I recommend this book because it is incredibly thought provoking and a very easy to read. Unlike many of her colleagues, McClary doesn't need to use a cripplingly large (and verbose) vocabulary to make her points. A definite must read for anyone interested in music!!!
