United in their indebtedness to the scholarship of Raymond Monelle, an international group of contributors, including leading authorities on music and culture, come together in this state of the art volume to investigate different ways in which music signifies. Music semiotics asks what music signifies as well as how the signification process takes place. Looking at the nature of musical texts and music's narrativity, a number of the essays in this collection delve into the relationship between music and philosophy, literature, poetry, folk traditions and the theatre, with opera a genre that particularly lends itself to this mode of investigation. Other contributions look at theories of musical markedness, metaphor and irony, using examples and specific musical texts to serve as case studies to validate their theoretical approaches. Musical works discussed include those by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Wagner, Stravinsky, BartA(3)k, Xenakis, Kutavicius and John Adams, offering stimulating discussions of music that attest to its beauty as much as to its intellectual challenge. Taking Monelle's writing as a model, the contributions adhere to a method of logical argumentation presented in a civilized and respectful way, even - and particularly - when controversial issues are at stake, keeping in mind that contemplating the significance of music is a way to contemplate life itself.

About the Author
Esti Sheinberg is the author of Irony, Satire, Parody and the Grotesque in the Music of Dmitri Shostakovich (Ashgate: 2000). A former student and colleague of Raymond Monelle, Sheinberg's scholarship contributes to the developing field of music signification by combining music analysis and historical research with the semiotics of music.

Reviews
'Conceived as a tribute to one of music semiotics' most energetic and versatile thinkers, this fascinating collection tackles questions of musical signification from a variety of perspectives (from aesthetics and psychology to hermeneutics and musicology). Several essays lie at the cutting edge of semiotic research, and will enrich our understanding of what and how music means.' Kofi Agawu, Princeton University, USA The list of contributors to this volume is impressive. New, emergent voices are found alongside the great names in the musicology of meanings. ... Sheinberg's prose is sparkling clear, witty, and deeply human. Her presentation, both of Monelle the man and Monelle the researcher, will remain as a reference. ... The book condenses the throbbing experience of Raymond Monelle's legacy into a living entity so rich in so many facets that there's room for contradiction and paradox. Min-Ad: Israel Studies in Musicology Online Review



Book Information
ISBN 9781138270749
Author Esti Sheinberg
Format Paperback
Page Count 366
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 521g