Description
Book SynopsisWhen we think of composers like Mozart or Beethoven, we usually envision an isolated artist separate from the orchestra. For most of Japan's musical history, however, no such role existed - composition and performance were deeply intertwined. This book offers fresh insights not just into Japanese music but Japanese modernity at large.
Trade Review"In this highly original book, Bonnie C. Wade skillfully presents a complicated story by weaving together the connections between political conditions, cultural environments, and social expectations. By focusing on these connections between social domains, she establishes a dynamic scene that cannot easily be captured by single concepts such as modernization, westernization, or globalization. She provides a study that is as much about composers, music organizations, and social history as it is about the making of Japanese musical modernity-a process that is still ongoing." (Frederick Lau, University of Hawaii at Manoa)"