The Book of Music and Nature: An anthology of sounds, words, thoughts

David Rothenberg, Marta Ulvaeus

Research output: Book/ReportBook

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

This innovative book and online CD, assembled by the editors of the renowned periodical Terra Nova, is the first anthology published on the subject of music and nature. Lush and evocative, yoking together the simplicities and complexities of the world of natural sound and the music inspired by it, this collection includes essays, illustrations, and plenty of sounds and music. The Book of Music and Nature celebrates our relationship with natural soundscapes while posing stimulating questions about that very relationship. The book ranges widely, with the interplay of the texts and sounds creating a conversation that readers from all walks of life will find provocative and accessible. The anthology includes classic texts on music and nature by 20th century masters including John Cage, Hazrat Inrayat Khan, Pierre Schaeffer, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Toru Takemitsu. Innovative essays by Brian Eno, Pauline Oliveros, David Toop, Hildegard Westerkamp and Evan Eisenberg also appear. Interspersed throughout are short fic ional excerpts by authors Rafi Zabor, Alejo Carpentier, and Junichiro Tanazaki. The virtual CD at http://www.wesleyan.edu/wespress/musicandnaturecd/ includes fifteen tracks of music made out of, or reflective of, natural sounds, ranging from Babenzele Pygmy music to Australian butcherbirds, and from Pauline Oliveros to Brian Eno.

Original languageEnglish (US)
PublisherWesleyan University Press
Number of pages262
Volume9780819573902
ISBN (Electronic)9780819573902
ISBN (Print)0819564079, 9780819569356
StatePublished - 2013

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Environmental Science
  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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