Strunk's Source Readings in Music History: The Twentieth Century

by Robert Morgan

Twentieth-century music has been described as complex, vital, diverse, uncertain, experimental, self-conscious, innovative-the list is long and growing. Composers have been both credited with and accused of always searching for something "new," writing works that are mechanistic but romantic, meaningful but unskilled, beautiful but ugly! In The Twentieth Century, Robert P. Morgan helps us grasp the flavor of the era by presenting forty-five readings...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 039396700X
• ISBN13: 9780393967005
• Release Date: September 1997
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Definitive Collection

Like the previous 6 volumes in this series, vol. 7 is the definitive collection of musical essays from this time period. Deciding what to include in this volume must have been a very difficult task since there is so much more material available from the 20th century than from previous time periods; and since the editors produced this volume so chronologically near the 20th century, it is impossible to know which readings will "stand the test of time." Yet Robert Morgan has done an outstanding job editing this volume (and Leo Treitler as general editor) to include a wide range of relavent materials. This is an excellent resouce for anyone who wants to learn more (or teach) about music in the 20th century. Don't try to read it front to back. Instead, read whichever essays look most interesting to you first, and save the rest until they become those that look the most interesting.