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From the Back Cover
Why does music have such a powerful effect on our minds and bodies? It is the most mysterious and most intangible of all forms of art. Yet, Anthony Storr believes, music today is a deeply significant experience for a greater number of people than ever before. In this challenging book, he explores why this should be so. Drawing on a wide variety of opinions, Storr argues that the patterns of music make sense of our inner experience, giving both structure and coherence to our feelings and emotions. It is because music possesses this capacity to restore our sense of personal wholeness in a culture which requires us to separate rational thought from feelings, that many people find it so life-enhancing.
“Anyone who feels like reflecting about the origins, the impact and the significance of music will find Dr Storr’s book helpful and stimulating.”
ALFRED BRENDEL
“This beautifully written book, humane, intelligent and thoughtful, is a significant contribution to our understanding of those mysterious movements of the mind.”
ADAM LIVELY, 'Times Educational Supplement'
“It is stimulating inquiry aimed at discovering what it is about music that so profoundly moves so many people, in the course of which he describes the physical effects of mescaline, considers the relation of bird-song, the burbling of babies and the language of literature to music, and touches on many other fascinating topics, concluding that its most significant aspect for us is its power to create order out of chaos.”
FRANCES PARTRIDGE, 'Spectator'
“Reading Storr’s work is always like being taken on a journey through a foreign country by a great enthusiast. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the language because he teaches you what you need to know along the way. His knowledge is vast and his enthusiasm infectious…Storr is an extraordinarily gifted communicator.”
MARY LOUDON, 'New Statesman & Society'
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No culture so far discovered lacks music. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most of the book is dedicated to outlining various existing theories concerning the psychological nature of music. This is done in an accessible, clear style, with each viewpoint being described in turn before the author's criticisms and reservations are given. The basic views of Plato, Nietzsche, and Schopenhauer on music, as well as theories of several musicologists and psychologists, are examined, with just enough philosophical and scientific background to make everything intelligible while still being accessible. In fact, the chapters on Nietzsche and Schopenhauer (the author is broadly sympathatic to their views on music) could easily serve on their own as introductions for those who want to know these thinkers' views on music without going into too much unnecessary philosophical background.
One of the book's weaknesses is that some chapters read a little too much like standalone essays - there is not always a clear line of argument running from one chapter to the next. This is largely because Storr is more interested in discussing existing ideas rather than expounding his own: there is no consistent overarching thesis running through the book. The strength of the book lies mainly in the clarity with which each idea is explained - the style is always readable while still remaining academically rigorous.
There is frequently a hint of Eurocentrism in Storr's arguments. For example, the composer/performer/audience hierarchy, which is basically unique to Western classical music, is often treated as a given when considering the fundamental (not culturally-specific) nature of music. To be fair, Storr does give a disclaimer on the first page stating that the book does reflect his own preference for Western art music, and in my experience most musicological works share a similar bias.
On the whole, this book provides a thoughtful and accessible overview of the basic issues relating to the psychological basis and function of music, and should be near the top of the reading list for anyone who is interested in this subject.
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