Emotion and Meaning in Music

by Leonard B. Meyer

Description

"Altogether it is a book that should be required reading for any student of music, be he composer, performer, or theorist. It clears the air of many confused notions . . . and lays the groundwork for exhaustive study of the basic problem of music theory and aesthetics, the relationship between pattern and meaning."--David Kraehenbuehl, Journal of Music Theory "This is the best study of its kind to have come to the attention of this reviewer."--Jules Wolffers, The Christian Science Monitor show more "It is not too much to say that his approach provides a basis for the meaningful discussion of emotion and meaning in all art."--David P. McAllester, American Anthropologist "A book which should be read by all who want deeper insights into music listening, performing, and composing."--Marcus G. Raskin, Chicago Review show less

Recommendations

The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven by Charles Rosen

The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven

Charles Rosen

Music and the Mind by Anthony Storr

Music and the Mind

Anthony Storr

Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons by Igor Stravinsky

Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons

Igor Stravinsky

A Generative Theory of Tonal Music by Fred Lerdahl

A Generative Theory of Tonal Music

Fred Lerdahl

Music, The Brain, And Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination by Robert Jourdain

Music, The Brain, And Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination

Robert Jourdain

Philosophy Of New Music by Theodor W. Adorno

Philosophy Of New Music

Theodor W. Adorno

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession

Daniel J. Levitin

Music, the Arts, and Ideas: Patterns and Predictions in Twentieth-Century Culture (Centennial Publications of the University of Chicago) by Leonard B. Meyer

Music, the Arts, and Ideas: Patterns and Predictions in Twentieth-Century Culture (Centennial Publications of the University of Chicago)

Leonard B. Meyer

Structural Functions of Harmony by Arnold Schoenberg

Structural Functions of Harmony

Arnold Schoenberg

Sonata Forms by Charles Rosen

Sonata Forms

Charles Rosen

Theory of Harmony (California Library Reprint Series) by Arnold Schoenberg

Theory of Harmony (California Library Reprint Series)

Arnold Schoenberg

Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation by David Huron

Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation

David Huron

On the Musically Beautiful: a Contribution Towards the Revision of the Aesthetics of Music (Hackett Classics) by Eduard Hanslick

On the Musically Beautiful: a Contribution Towards the Revision of the Aesthetics of Music (Hackett Classics)

Eduard Hanslick

Structural Functions in Music by Wallace Berry

Structural Functions in Music

Wallace Berry

Contemplating Music: Challenges to Musicology by Joseph Kerman

Contemplating Music: Challenges to Musicology

Joseph Kerman

Harmony by Walter Piston

Harmony

Walter Piston

Guidelines for style analysis by Jan LaRue

Guidelines for style analysis

Jan LaRue

Style and Idea: Selected Writings by Arnold Schoenberg

Style and Idea: Selected Writings

Arnold Schoenberg

The Idea of Absolute Music by Carl Dahlhaus

The Idea of Absolute Music

Carl Dahlhaus

The Study of Counterpoint by Johann Joseph Fux

The Study of Counterpoint

Johann Joseph Fux

The Aesthetics of Music by Roger Scruton

The Aesthetics of Music

Roger Scruton

The Rhythmic Structure of Music by Grosvenor Cooper

The Rhythmic Structure of Music

Grosvenor Cooper

How Music Works: The Science and Psychology of Beautiful Sounds, from Beethoven to the Beatles and Beyond by John Powell

How Music Works: The Science and Psychology of Beautiful Sounds, from Beethoven to the Beatles and Beyond

John Powell

Style and Music: Theory, History, and Ideology by Leonard B. Meyer

Style and Music: Theory, History, and Ideology

Leonard B. Meyer

The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard by Leonard Bernstein

The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard

Leonard Bernstein

Musical Form and Musical Performance by Edward T. Cone

Musical Form and Musical Performance

Edward T. Cone

Counterpoint: The Polyphonic Vocal Style of the Sixteenth Century by Knud Jeppesen

Counterpoint: The Polyphonic Vocal Style of the Sixteenth Century

Knud Jeppesen

Principles of Orchestration by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Principles of Orchestration

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Counterpoint by Kent Kennan

Counterpoint

Kent Kennan

Music and Discourse by Jean Jacques Nattiez

Music and Discourse

Jean Jacques Nattiez

Structural Hearing: Tonal Coherence in Music by Felix Salzer

Structural Hearing: Tonal Coherence in Music

Felix Salzer

Serial Composition and Atonality: An Introduction to the Music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, Sixth edition, Revised by George Perle

Serial Composition and Atonality: An Introduction to the Music of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern, Sixth edition, Revised

George Perle

A History of Musical Style by Richard L. Crocker

A History of Musical Style

Richard L. Crocker

Formalized Music: Thought and Mathematics in Composition by Iannis Xenakis

Formalized Music: Thought and Mathematics in Composition

Iannis Xenakis

Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization by Stuart Isacoff

Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization

Stuart Isacoff

Emblems of Mind. The Inner Life of Music and Mathematics by Edward Rothstein

Emblems of Mind. The Inner Life of Music and Mathematics

Edward Rothstein

The Interpretation of Music by Thurston Dart

The Interpretation of Music

Thurston Dart

What to Listen for in Music by Aaron Copland

What to Listen for in Music

Aaron Copland

The Study of Fugue by Alfred Mann

The Study of Fugue

Alfred Mann

The Language of Music by Deryck Cooke

The Language of Music

Deryck Cooke

In Search of Wagner by Theodor Adorno

In Search of Wagner

Theodor Adorno

A History of Western Music by Donald Jay Grout

A History of Western Music

Donald Jay Grout

Treatise on Harmony by Jean-Philippe Rameau

Treatise on Harmony

Jean-Philippe Rameau

Orchestration by Walter Piston

Orchestration

Walter Piston

Music and Imagination by Aaron Copland

Music and Imagination

Aaron Copland

Foundations of Music History by Carl Dahlhaus

Foundations of Music History

Carl Dahlhaus

Music in the Baroque Era by Manfred F. Bukofzer

Music in the Baroque Era

Manfred F. Bukofzer

Esthetics of Music by Carl Dahlhaus

Esthetics of Music

Carl Dahlhaus

Anthology for Musical Analysis by Charles Burkhart

Anthology for Musical Analysis

Charles Burkhart

Harmony by Heinrich Schenker

Harmony

Heinrich Schenker

Complete Recommendations

Member Reviews

Featured Recent Thumbs

All Ratings
2
6
No Rating

2 reviews

jwhenderson 2,951 reviews

This is a serious study that offers valuable perspectives on composing, performing, and listening to music. The aesthetic appeal of music as an art form and the depths of emotion in music theory.

Nov 17, 2024

operasus 2 reviews

A classic of musical psychology and interpretation.

Ratings

hermannstone 20 reviews

Oct 23, 2006

mrcold