In the Course of Performance: Studies in the World of Musical Improvisation [Paperback]

Bruno Nettl (Editor), Melinda Russell (Editor)

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Product Details

Paperback: 424 pages
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (Dec 15 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0226574113
ISBN-13: 978-0226574110
Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 1.5 x 0.2 cm
Shipping Weight: 599 g

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #419,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

In the Course of Performance is the first book in decades to illustrate and explain the practices and processes of musical improvisation. Improvisation, by its very nature, seems to resist interpretation or elucidation. This difficulty may account for the very few attempts scholars have made to provide a general guide to this elusive subject. With contributions by seventeen scholars and improvisers, In the Course of Performance offers a history of research on improvisation and an overview of the different approaches to the topic that can be used, ranging from cognitive study to detailed musical analysis. Such diverse genres as Italian lyrical singing, modal jazz, Indian classical music, Javanese gamelan, and African-American girls' singing games are examined. The most comprehensive guide to the understanding of musical improvisation available, In the Course of Performance will be indispensable to anyone attracted to this fascinating art.

Contributors are Stephen Blum, Sau Y. Chan, Jody Cormack, Valerie Woodring Goertzen, Lawrence Gushee, Eve Harwood, Tullia Magrini, Peter Manuel, Ingrid Monson, Bruno Nettl, Jeff Pressing, Ali Jihad Racy, Ronald Riddle, Stephen Slawek, Chris Smith, R. Anderson Sutton, and T. Viswanathan.

About the Author

Bruno Nettl is professor of music and anthropology at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He is the author or editor of nineteen books, including Folk and Traditional Music of the Western Continents and The Study of Ethnomusicology. Melinda Russell is instructor of music at Carleton College.

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
Although the noun "improvisation" and its cognates are relatively new words in European languages, they have quickly become indispensable terms for talking about music and about many other areas of social life. Read the first page

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4.0 out of 5 stars fine set of essays, May 7 2001

William Benzon (Jersey City, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In the Course of Performance: Studies in the World of Musical Improvisation (Paperback)

An excellent set of articles on improvisation, with one on the psychology of improv, and articles on Gamelan, Arabic music, jazz, Cantonese opera, Latin dance, Hindustani music, children's games.

Improvisation is not the same everywhere. And there are differences from culture to culture, and performer to performer, in just how much of a performance is improvised. These essays address these and other issues.

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Amazon.com: 4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)

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4.0 out of 5 stars fine set of essays, May 7 2001

By William Benzon - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: In the Course of Performance: Studies in the World of Musical Improvisation (Paperback)

An excellent set of articles on improvisation, with one on the psychology of improv, and articles on Gamelan, Arabic music, jazz, Cantonese opera, Latin dance, Hindustani music, children's games.

› Go to Amazon.com to see the review 4.0 out of 5 stars