Catechism of Musical Aesthetics

Published in 1895, three engaging lectures aiming to establish aesthetics as an aid to the performance and appreciation of music.

Hugo Riemann (Author), H. Bewerunge (Translated by)

9781108057301, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 18 April 2013

76 pages
21.6 x 14 x 0.4 cm, 0.1 kg

One of the most important musicologists of his age, Hugo Riemann (1849–1919) influenced an entire generation in its thinking. He held several teaching posts before settling at the University of Leipzig in 1895. A prolific writer on music theory, publishing works on almost every aspect of the subject, he is best remembered for his celebrated Musik-Lexikon (1882). These three lectures, setting out his thinking on how we listen to music, were first published in 1888 as Wie hören wir Musik? and in 1895 in this English translation by Heinrich Bewerunge (1862–1923), plainchant scholar at St Patrick's College, Maynooth. Each lecture deals with a different aspect of the overarching question posed in the original title, revealing Riemann's thoughts on the transformation of hearing into feeling, the different psychological effects of dynamics, emotional responses to rhythm and harmony, and passive and active listening.

Preface
1. Elementary factors
2. Form-giving principles.

Subject Areas: Music reviews & criticism [AVC]