History of musical listening
An impressive anthology traces the variations in musical perception through the ages, from antiquity to around 1900.
For a long time, musicography was mainly concerned with transmitters (composers and musicians). Over the past few years, however, we have seen a proliferation of academic studies analyzing the receivers, mainly the public of course, but also philosophers, scientists, theologians... or the musicians themselves, listening to their colleagues or in self-listening situations.
Editions MF and the Philharmonie de Paris have co-published a monumental anthology, the first of its kind. Compiled by a team of specialists under the direction of Martin Kaltenecker, it is likely to be of interest to amateurs and professionals alike. Particularly fascinating is the historical aspect, since the choice of writings, each presented in context (over 1,100 testimonials, literary or theoretical fragments, reviews, reflections and anecdotes, as well as an iconography of a few hundred paintings, sculptures, frescoes, illuminations, engravings and other artifacts), ranges from Homeric antiquity to the early 20th century.e century, when phonographic recordings changed the way people perceived musical sounds.
This fascinating sum, though limited to Western civilization, questions the places, times and practice of listening, scrutinizes soundscapes, reveals a wide variety of attitudes, examines the sacred and therapeutic powers attributed to music, and unveils physical and philosophical theories of hearing.
Listening. From Antiquity to the XIXe siècle, une anthologie, edited by Martin Kaltenecker, 1364 p., € 40.00, Editions MF, Paris 2024, ISBN 9791094642344
