Francis Maes's comprehensive and imaginative book introduces the general public to the scholarly debate that has revolutionized Russian music history over the past two decades. Based on the most recent critical literature; A History of Russian Music summarizes the new view of Russian music and provides a solid overview of the relationships between artistic movements and political ideas. The revision of Russian music history may count as one of the most significant achievements of recent musicology. The Western view used to be largely based on the ideas of Vladimir Stasov; a friend and confidant of leading nineteenth-century Russian composers who was more a propagandist than a historian. With the deconstruction of Stasov's interpretation; stereotyped views have been replaced by a fuller understanding of the conditions and the context in which composers such as Tchaikovsky; Mussorgsky; and Stravinsky created their oeuvres. Even the more recent history of Soviet music; in particular the achievement of Dmitry Shostakovich; is being assessed on new documentary grounds. A more complex conception of Russian music develops as Maes explores the cultural and historical milieu from which great works have emerged. Questioning and re-examining traditional views; the author considers the personal development of composers; the relationship of art to social and political ideals in Russia; and the ideologies behind musical research.
#398302 in Books 2003-11-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .68 x 6.00l; .83 #File Name: 0520233948275 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Research on Black Women's Spirituality "From the Inside"By Kisha RossBetween Sundays is some of the best scholarship on Black Women's Spiritual Practice that I have ever come across both during and after my graduate studies. I had a copy about 7 years ago and it got lost during one of my multiple moves. I ordered a second copy again in 2014 because I needed well-researched scholarship to serve as a counterbalance while I read Sophia Nelson's Black Woman Redefined: Dispelling Myths and Discovering Fulfillment in the Age of Michelle Obama. Both books give an excellent commentary on contemporary African American culture. However; in my opinion; Dr. Frederick does a better job of maintaining the objectivity that one expects a scholar to have even when reporting on a cultural phenomenon that is part of her own culture. In her writing; Dr. Frederick is able to position herself in the writing and research in a dual role as both objective observer and a subjective participant. Her writings remind me of excerpts I read from Zora Neale Hurston’s accounts of West African Caribbean culture during one of my grad-level anthropology courses. If looked at in this light; Between Sundays is a unique piece of scholarship: Dr. Frederick is able to analyze Black women's Christianity in the Deep South at a deep level precisely because Dr. Frederick is a Black Christian woman herself. The author expresses her concerns about maintaining the type of objectivity that her discipline requires. In my opinion; Dr. Frederick does an excellent job of disclosing her biases and potential conflicts of interest in the opening chapter before moving forward with her analysis. I would guess that someone who is not African American may be able to pinpoint weaknesses in her analysis citing that the author is "blind" to her biases because she is "too close to the issue"; however; in my perspective this work has characteristics that will allow it to serve as a model for students of sociology anthropology who wish to study their “home†cultures from the inside so that they can make observations of value to people both inside and outside of their own culture(s).0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. My bookBy SnakeDoctor9A lot of information based on research. Very enlightening. A little less spiritually uplifting than I anticipated.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy CustomerExcellent
