The Musical Experience Author:Jon Gillespie Every insructor has his own ideas about how the various subjects of music appreciation should be organized and emphasized. The Musical Experience recognizes these differences of opinion by offering the most flexible coverage available. Although the major portion of the book is organized chronologically by musical periods and their styles, each... more » chapter is independent and the instructor or general reader can begin literally anywhere he chooses without sacrificing continuity. If he prefers to examine musical styles by type of composition rather than the period, he can follow the symphony or vocal misic,for example, through its' development simply by referring to the designated subsection wihinn chapters.
In addition to the many penetrating analyses of composer's works, which the author presents with a refreshing enthusiam and candor, the text provides primary-source material such as composers' own writings, musical examples and pertinent illustrations to enhance the presentatin. A particularly important featuree is the comprehensive treatment of contemporary music, which in many cases includes composers' own views of their music, written especially for this book. A special color spread illustrates a piece of aleatory music to demonstrate the extent to which new ideas in composition are being sought and a final chapter knowledgeably discusses Eastern music, jazz, and folk music, further emphasizing the fact that all music listening can be an enriching experience.« less