Description
Book SynopsisThe Performing Arts provides an accessible, yet sophisticated, introduction to the philosophical issues concerning the artistic performance.
Trade Review“This is a remarkable and remarkably useful book, and for much the same reason … The other result is that professionals in the philosophy of art will have to rise to the challenge. Davies has set the bar very high.” (Oxford Journals Clippings, 4 May 2012)
"Philosophy of the Performing Arts is a careful and detailed study in analytic philosophical aesthetics ... Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students through professional/practitioners." (Choice, 1 January 2012)
Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments viii
Part One Performance and the Classical Paradigm 1
1 The Nature of Artistic Performance 3
1 Introduction 3
2 What is a Performance? 4
3 Institutional Theories of Artistic Performance 7
4 Aesthetic Theories of Artistic Performance 10
5 Artistic Performance and Artistic Regard 14
6 Overview 17
2 The Classical Paradigm I: The Nature of the Performable Work 23
1 Introduction: Berthold and Magda Go to the Symphony 23
2 The Multiple Nature of Performable Works 24
3 Performable Works as Types 29
4 Varieties of Type Theories: Sonicism, Instrumentalism, and Contextualism 32
5 Other Theories of the Performable Work 38
3 The Classical Paradigm II: Appreciating Performable Works in Performance 51
1 Introduction: Talking Appreciatively about Performable Works 51
2 Can Performable Works Share Artistic Properties with Their Performances? 53
3 The Goodman Argument 57
4 Answering the Goodman Argument 62
4 Authenticity in Musical Performance 71
1 Introduction 71
2 Authenticity in the Arts 72
3 Three Notions of Historically Authentic Performance 74
5 Challenges to the Classical Paradigm in Music 87
1 Introduction: The Classical Paradigm in the Performing Arts 87
2 The Scope of the Paradigm in Classical Music 90
3 Jazz, Rock, and the Classical Paradigm 94
4 Non-Western Music and the Classical Paradigm 101
6 The Scope of the Classical Paradigm: Theater, Dance, and Literature 103
1 Introduction: Berthold and Magda Go to the Theater 103
2 Theatrical Performances and Performable Works 105
3 Challenges to the Classical Paradigm in Theater 112
4 Dance and the Classical Paradigm 120
5 The Novel as Performable Work? 128
Part Two Performance as Art 133
7 Performances as Artworks 135
1 Introduction: Spontaneous Performance in the Arts 135
2 The Artistic Status of Performances Outside the Classical Paradigm 138
3 The Artistic Status of Performances Within the Classical Paradigm 143
8 Elements of Performance I: Improvisation and Rehearsal 149
1 Introduction 149
2 The Nature of Improvisation 150
3 Improvisation and Performable Works: Three Models 154
4 Improvisation and Recording 160
5 The Place of Rehearsal in the Performing Arts 164
9 Elements of Performance II: Audience and Embodiment 172
1 Can There Be Artistic Performance Without an Audience? 172
2 Audience Response 181
3 The Embodied Performer and the Mirroring Receiver 189
10 Performance Art and the Performing Arts 200
1 Introduction 200
2 Some Puzzling Cases 201
3 What is Performance Art? 206
4 When Do Works of Performance Art Involve Artistic Performances? 209
5 Performance as Art: A Final Case 216
References 219
Index 226
