Noise: The Political Economy of Music Volume 16

by Jacques Attali

Book Overview

"Noise is a model of cultural historiography. . . . In its general theoretical argument on the relations of culture to economy, but also in its specialized concentration, Noise has much that is of importance to critical theory today." SubStance"For Attali, music is not simply a reflection of culture, but a harbinger of change, an anticipatory abstraction of the shape of things to come. The book's title refers specifically to the reception of musics...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816612870
• ISBN13: 9780816612871
• Release Date: June 1985
• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

provocative

The music industry is on trial as well as it should be. The cloning of America starts with it's youth, and when Bill Graham closed the Fillmore East in 1971 it was due to the capitalism of the recording industry. Image formula's, profit puppets, and total escape became the norm. What is interesting here is that Attali looks at serious contemporary composition as the only hope to create new forms and provides us with social parallels. That is exactly what John Cage was thinking. The only real freedom is internal, but through exposed sound structures multiperspectives on reality - our current situation will eventually collapse. As Varese said, "The modern day composer refuses to die."

Such a wonderful book, I read it twice.

A musicology professor of mine recommended I use this book in a presentation I gave on aesthetics. I compared Attali's approach to that of Benjamin and Adorno and found myself highlighting and smiling and nodding. I found this book to be so brilliant and hopeful (where Adorno was so pessimistic) that I used it again in a presentation for another graduate musicology seminar. If you don't like to read books that use complex sentences and multi-syllabic words, you should not be in higher education in the first place. Attali makes arguments that may seem outlandish, but with more thought and consideration, prove to be intelligent, fresh, and seemingly common sense.

Not Literary {wind}

Sometimes lazy people like to use phrases like "literary{wind} " to justify their inability to understand difficult topics, or to cover for their own, lacking, vocabularies. The foregoing review did just that. The fact is, sometimes precise thought demands precise language.Anyway, this book provides valuable insight into the relationship of fringe art/music, and the future of society. Attali postulates that society is founded upon the idea that bad noise must be subverted. Therefore, all forces effecting social change, at some time, have been subverted. Given time though, they find their way into society by way of, here, music, and begin to cause change.This is a very interesting and well conceived book. A great read for philosophy student and musician alike. It puts a new spin on the effect of music on culture, and the reciprocal relationship between art and society. Good stuff. In closing, and in response to the previous reviewer, "college isn't taken as seriously as it once was" simply because the hallowed halls are clogged with students who readily dismiss works of sound thought because they don't like having to look up words or work for their own enlightenment.ENDs

Simply brilliant

This is simply one of the very best books I've ever read in my life. If you're interested in music, or maybe about, don't laugh, the meaning of life in general, this text is a total eye-opener. I just don't look at things the same way as I did before I read it. Very provocative and sophisticated, but very clearly written, needs 100% concentration on the subject and an open mind. Basically renders most of the traditional musicology and approach to music useless. Asks more questions than it answers, but hey, you'll gain new persepective. Rad

Music as commidity and predictor of social change.

This is an essential work for anyone interested in the sociology of music. The author follows 2 significant threads of thought in this work; the commidification of music, and music as indicator (predictor) of social change. Using sophisiticated but well written theories and examples Attali demonstrates how music acts as the subconsciousness of society, validating and testing new social and political realities. Among the powerful analogies he draws is that of how modern people stockpile musical recordings, in some instances more than can possibly ever listen too, much in the same way nations stockpile weapons. In describing the evolution of the orchestra he compares the conductor to the king conducting his flanks of violins and horns with the same dictorial presence of command as one would dispatch foot soldiers and calvaries. Attali clearly has a passion for music drawing examples from Bach to improvisational jazz. In the end this is an optimistic book, illuminating indications of both social and musical evolution during the 20th century. D.L. Jonsson