Theory of Musical Narrative

<p>Byron Almén proposes an original synthesis of approaches to musical narrative from literary criticism semiotics historiography musicology and music theory resulting in a significant critical reorientation of the field. This volume includes an extensive survey of traditional approaches to musical narrative illustrated by a wide variety of musical examples that highlight the range and applicability of the theoretical apparatus. Almén provides a careful delineation of the essential elements and preconditions of musical narrative organization an eclectic analytical model applicable to a wide range of musical styles and repertoires a classification scheme of narrative types and subtypes reflecting conceptually distinct narrative strategies a wide array of interpretive categories and a sensitivity to the dependence of narrative interpretation on the cultural milieu of the work its various audiences and the analyst. <i>A Theory of Musical Narrative</i> provides both an excellent introduction to an increasingly important conceptual domain and a complex reassessment of its possibilities and characteristics.</p>