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What to Listen For in Music (Signet Classics) Kindle Edition

by Aaron Copland (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 486 ratings

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Now in trade paperback: “The definitive guide to musical enjoyment” (Forum).

In this fascinating analysis of how to listen to both contemporary and classical music analytically, eminent American composer Aaron Copland offers provocative suggestions that will bring readers a deeper appreciation of the most viscerally rewarding of all art forms.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is a reprint of the enormously popular 1957 edition of Copland's guide to music. There is no new text by Copland, only a new introduction by composer William Schuman, which is more an encomium to the "Dean of American Music." In large measure, the book owes its success to its simple, jargon-free language and engaging style. One wishes, though, that Copland might have added an assessment of the musical scene of the past 30 years. The bibliography has not been updated and is thus virtually useless, with the most recent entry 1955. Nonetheless, the book remains an excellent guide for the novice. Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, Pa.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

?One of the most helpful, sensible, and enjoyable discourses on the subject ever published.?
?"Victor Record Review"

?By far the best thing of its kind yet to appear.?
?"Modern Music"

aOne of the most helpful, sensible, and enjoyable discourses on the subject ever published.a
a"Victor Record Review"
aBy far the best thing of its kind yet to appear.a
a"Modern Music"

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004IYJE4M
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Signet; Reissue edition (February 1, 2011)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 2011
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4353 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 308 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #215,954 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #8 in Music Appreciation (Kindle Store)
- #26 in Music Reference (Kindle Store)
- #80 in Music History & Criticism (Kindle Store)

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4.5 486 ratings

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4.5 out of 5

486 global ratings

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Ismael de Leon H.

Great advice from a great composer

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2015

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I am surprised it took me so long to discover this book, as it is so well written and so useful for better understanding the ways to enjoy concert music. I really did not know Copland was so articulate and good at writing. I can perceive a successful effort on his part in order to clearly explain something as abstract as music.

This is not a book that will provide the reader with all that is needed to completely own this art form. However, it is a book that should be read by anyone that intends to grasp more enjoyment out of serious concert music. His point of view on many aspects of the music appreciation practice are very valuable. Throughout his discussion, he manages to present many useful tips that help the reader to better concentrate on what is important on any piece.

In his book, Copland mentions many examples of pieces to make his point, and I guess one has to be familiar with those works in order to get it. However, here and there I found mentions of examples for which I am not familiar with, and even then, I could very well understand what he was trying to say.

He does not assume that the reader is very knowledgeable about music and at the same time, he does not write as if the reader was stupid, as some of the books from the series “…For Dummies” series do.

I highly recommend this book to better learn about appreciating music from the humble words of a great composer who is caring enough to make his reading enjoyable.

13 people found this helpful

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Anne Mills

Wonderful for Those Who Don't Know Much About Music, and Want to Learn

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2012

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This is a TERRIFIC book about music for music laypeople -- those of us who love music but don't know much about it, who want to learn more in order to enjoy it more. There is lots and lots written about music history, what composer wrote when and who influenced whom. But there isn't that much that I have found about the music itself which really helps me understand what is going on in a particular piece.

Copland does this, by taking the reader through the building blocks of music. He starts with what he calls the four elements: rhythm, melody, harmony and tone color, Then he proceeds to musical texture, to musical structure, and then to five fundamental forms: sectional, variational, fugal, sonata, and free. After this, he concludes with brief surveys of opera, film music, and what was then contemporary serious music. Each chapter is followed with a list of suggested pieces of music to listen to.

The book's advanced age has remarkably little impact on its usefulness, except for the fact that the "listening lists" refer to old recordings. The book first appeared in 1939 and was revised in 1957; the Signet edition that I read has a short chapter on music since Copland. Copland was a teacher of music as well as a composer, and it shows -- I would love to take a class for which this was the text.

This book does, however, demand lots of effort, and lots of listening, at least for us "I don't know much about music, but I know what I like" types. What Copland wants the listener to do is go beyond pure sensuous enjoyment and use his or her brain to follow the music as it unfolds -- to listen, not just hear. Doing this requires listening again and again to pieces he discusses.

Like some other reviewers, I wish very much that some kind person would put out a CD (or set up a website) with the specific passages Copland cites, as well as his broader listening list. Even without this, however, I have learned a great deal from this book. I expect to learn more, since I will be reading again and again as I listen.

I doubt that the book would be nearly so useful to people who already know a lot about how music works, but for the groundlings, Copland's book is masterful

14 people found this helpful

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Max Shpak

Introductory music theory for non-musicians

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2022

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Not being particularly taken with Aaron Copland's compositions, "What to Listen For In Music" is probably my favorite work by Copland. Reading the book greatly enhanced my understanding of and interest in classical music composition, and encouraged me to read more advanced books on music theory.

Copland's book begins with the very basics of tonal harmony (key signatures etc) which will be familiar to anyone who has had any musical instruction at all. It later introduces more complex topics from counterpoint and musical form at a non-technical level. The reader will learn to recognize the difference between a canon and a fugue, between classical sonata form and a rondo thanks to the author's clear explanations and musical examples. Each chapter ends with a list of recommended compositions and recordings that illustrate the musical forms and styles being discussed.

"What to Listen for in Music" ends with Copland encouraging those who admire music from the 18th or 19th centuries not to shy away from the orchestral and vocal music of the 20th century, including "difficult" atonal or serial compositions by composers like Stravinsky, Schoenberg, etc.

If the book has any shortcomings, it is that some theory topics such as Baroque counterpoint or serialism could have been covered in more detail. The book would have also benefited from a chapter devoted specifically to highlighting the differences between Baroque, Classical, Romantic vs. Modern musical styles, some of which is glossed over in passing throughout the text. Copland, being a professional composer, also lets his preferences and prejudices get in the way of objectively discussing the works of his contemporaries or predecessors at times, but that is to be expected.

4 people found this helpful

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Steve Rogers

an ear opener

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2009

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With this book as a guide I learnt a lot about how music is structured and it showed me new and interesting ways to listen to music - although the focus is classical music if you listen to other types of music as well it is also relevant. It is not easy, you need to give it a lot of time, and access to a CD library so you can access all the works he uses to illustrate the book is very useful.

I started to learn the piano a couple of years ago and basic music reading skills and knowledge of an instrument have helped me get the most out of this book. This is not to say to you will not get something about it if you don't have these skills, just that is helps you get more.

Recommended - and a bargain at the price!

8 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

What to look for in a layman 's guide

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 13, 2021

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It's so good to hear from the horse's mouth even when some of the technical detail goes over, or under one's head. It's not a difficult read however and with a basic grasp of musical notation you can follow the musical quotations. These are a significant part of the early chapters. It really gets interesting when he gets on to contemporary music, an addition for a later edition. The description of various compositional forms is also reassuring for those of us with a still simplistic ken of serious music. The pedagogical assumptions behind the text may be outmoded but Copland's heard was in the right place in sharing his experience with so who bothered to enquire.

2 people found this helpful

Dr. Tim Parker

Timeless classic on the subject of music and how to listen to it

Reviewed in Canada on March 14, 2019

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Copland, of course, knows what he's talking about when it comes both to the subject of music in general as well as composition. This book is based on a series of lectures given decades ago, and while some of the writing and references are dated, the primary aim of this book is still important: teaching people to appreciate and understand music beyond the simple aspect of a beat or a melody.

There's a ton of introductory content to get through in the book before you get to Copland's thoughts, but once you start reading Copland's chapters you quickly realize he knew how to write and convey the ideas he is talking about, as well as the fact he knows what he is talking about! He doesn't talk down at all, nor does he assume some level of musical knowledge; everything is well laid out and explained, and, chapter by chapter, your knowledge of classical music (and other forms of music - jazz gets quite a few mentions - although classical is the primary target) increases considerably. The book doesn't teach you how to listen, but what to listen for both directly and indirectly. I found each of Copland's chapters interesting in and of their own, but as you read through the book your skills and knowledge increase.

This isn't a long book, but it is an interesting and informative one. I suspect that no matter how much you know about music and composition, you'll learn something (or maybe realize what you knew all along). A well written and timeless book for those who love music.

One person found this helpful

ajayakumar kizhakkiniyil

Bad quality paper

Reviewed in India on September 23, 2018

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Cheapest quality of paper I have ever seen. The first page of the book is already torned off

One person found this helpful

Hal

和訳がないのはもったいない

Reviewed in Japan on March 28, 2023

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音楽、言うまでもなくクラシック音楽と称されるものの中に、何を聴くべきか。名著である。が、これが書かれたLPレコードとラジオ放送の時代と、インターネットの時代の文化の変化は大きすぎる。例え和訳本があっても手に取る人は少ないかも知れない。音楽鑑賞が高尚な趣味や嗜み、憧れのものではなくなった。とはいえ、今も存在する音楽愛好家にはお勧め。この本以降の出来事なので取り上げられていない大事な事柄は、古楽復興と、YouTubeなどを含めたライブ演奏の普及により’Interpreter’奏者の役割が重要になっていること、どちらもこの本を貫く作曲家の視点を補うもの、他の書物を探すべきか。

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