The tradition of autobiography in music.
Item
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Title
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The tradition of autobiography in music.
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Identifier
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AAI9432371
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identifier
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9432371
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Creator
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Piza, Antoni.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Leo Treitler
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Date
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1994
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Music | Biography
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Abstract
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A survey of autobiographical writings by composers from the fourteenth century to the present focusing on the question of how composers create a self. Although, the Autobiography of Thomas Whythorne (1528-96) can be considered the earliest autobiography by a composer, the genre also stems from lexicographical practices in eighteenth-century Germany (scholars such as Walther and Mattheson requested autobiographies from composers with the intention to include them in biographical dictionaries of music). In the nineteenth century, Wagner's autobiographies show the composer's concern with providing a solid image of himself through writing. Stravinsky's Autobiography demonstrates the composer's preoccupation for giving an exegesis of his musical compositions. John Cage's diverse autobiographical are examined in the light of Derrida's "metaphysics of presence." Cage privileges noise and silence over organized sound because he considers the former as closer to human interiority than the latter. The possibility of autobiographical music is examined by exploring examples of autobiographical music by Virgil Thomson and Smetana. Schoenberg's painted self-portraits are introduced as a case of a composer creating a self through the visual arts. In conclusion, the study shows that composers use autobiography to control the reception and meaning of their musical works.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
