Description
Book SynopsisUsing landscape as its unifying concept, this engaging book explores orchestral music that represents real and imagined physical and cultural spaces, natural forces, and humans and wildlife. Spanning continents and centuries, David Knight links contrasting forms of music through unifying themes of time and space; waterscapes; imagined and mythic spaces; the search for meaning in extreme landscapes; and realms of death, survival, and remembrance. The author also underscores the importance of the physical spaces in which music is performed. Orchestral works are rarely perceived in geographical terms, but Knight, himself an accomplished geographer and musician, offers a deeply satisfying approach to interpreting and appreciating a wide range of music. Comparing classic masterworks from Europe and Russia alongside more recent compositions from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and China, this innovative study offers a fresh understanding of the links between music and the worlds around us.
Trade ReviewAs a conductor I thoroughly enjoyed Landscapes in Music. David Knight's approach develops broad perspectives by specific examples and provides a unique way of looking at orchestral music. Using geographical and musical landscapes and pointing out their relatedness gives true insight into the minds and music of the relevant composers. Fascinating. -- Henry Janzen, Conductor, Hart House Orchestra, University of Toronto
This is a valuable contribution to the cultural geography of landscapes and imagery. David Knight has abviously devoted much of his time to playing and listening to works that excite his interpretation of landscape. * The Geographical Review *
Landscapes in Music is an outstanding assignment for cultural geography courses; it belongs on every human geographer's bookshelf. * Professional Geographer *
From bird calls to folk songs, from babbling brooks to raging storms, from windswept expanses to echoing valleys, composers have been inspired by nature and culture, defining by musical idiom the regions and landscapes of our world. Geographer and musician David Knight takes his readers on a global euphonic journey of several centuries, creating new and fascinating contexts for the old and familiar as well as the modern and unconventional. This remarkable, innovative, and highly personal work delivers far more than its modest title implies. -- H. J. de Blij, Michigan State University
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Chapter 1: Introduction: Soundscapes, Geography, and Music Chapter 3 Chapter 2: Time and Space Chapter 4 Chapter 3: Waterscapes: Towards a Sea of Tranquility Chapter 5 Chapter 4: Specific and Generalized Landscapes Chapter 6 Chapter 5: Imagined and Mythic Landscapes Chapter 7 Chapter 6: Searching for Meaning in Landscapes of Extremes Chapter 8 Chapter 7: Landscapes of Death, Survival, and Remembrance Chapter 9 Chapter 8: Music in Places Chapter 10 Chapter 9: Conclusion Chapter 11 Appendix: On Soundscapes and the Geography of Music Chapter 12 References
